No traces suggesting Delhi woman’s presence in car before it dragged her

Officials said blood samples of the accused Deepak Khanna, 26, Amit Khanna, 25, Krishan, 27, Mithun Kumar, 26, and Manoj Mittal, 27, who were allegedly drunk, have been taken to check the alcohol content

Forensic experts have found no traces suggesting the presence of the 20-year-old woman in the car, which dragged her body for at least 14km before it was dislodged in a mangled state and found in outer Delhi’s Kanjhawala on New Year’s Day, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

Video grab of the car that hit the woman and dragged her. (PTI)

The officials said samples were taken from the car and thoroughly inspected. “...traces of the blood have been found under the front left wheel of the car. No such traces inside the car have been found,” said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The officials said blood samples of the accused Deepak Khanna, 26, Amit Khanna, 25, Krishan, 27, Mithun Kumar, 26, and Manoj Mittal, 27, who were allegedly drunk, have been taken to check the alcohol content.

Police on Tuesday said Anjali Kumari’s post-mortem ruled out the sexual assault as investigators questioned her friend, Nidhi, who was present at the spot when the five in a grey Maruti Suzuki Baleno hit their scooty in Sultanpuri.

Kumari’s body was entangled in the underside of the car as it drove on for at least two hours, dragging it for at least 14km.

The grisly incident sparked outrage with Kumari’s family alleging she was sexually assaulted. But police cited the post-mortem and said they found no proof to suggest that. All injuries she sustained were due to blunt force impact and dragging.

HT on Tuesday reported the autopsy report said the woman sustained injuries on her head, spine, left femur, and lower limbs. The final autopsy report will be based on chemical analysis and biological sample reports.

The autopsy findings and eyewitness accounts confirmed the woman was alive after being hit by the car. The eyewitness confirmed she shouted for help when she got trapped.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met the woman’s family on Tuesday and announced ₹10 lakh compensation while a delegation of his Aam Aadmi Party met police commissioner Sanjay Arora and raised alleged lapses.

The five accused are in police custody and face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on charges of culpable homicide. Police indicated more stringent charges of murder may be slapped on them.

Investigators on Tuesday recorded the statement of Nidhi, who was riding pillion with the Kumari minutes before the accident. They recovered CCTV footage that showed the two women leaving a hotel in Rohini at 1.31am on January 1. Nidhi said they were attending a New Year’s bash about 15 minutes before the car accident.

Nidhi confirmed the Baleno hit the scooty and added that she fled the accident scene fearing legal hassles.

Police said the five men borrowed a friend’s car and were on their way back after drinking and eating when they hit the woman in Sultanpuri.