Suspect in Delhi's Kailash Hills rape-murder sexually assaulted woman in Rajasthan hours before: Cops

According to police, Rahul Meena had travelled overnight to Delhi by hiring a van and then came straight to the house.

The investigation into the rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman in south Delhi’s Kailash Hills has revealed that the prime suspect – 23-year-old Rahul Meena – allegedly raped another woman in Rajasthan’s Alwar just hours before committing the Delhi crime, and that his addiction to online gambling may have drawn him to the house in a bid to rob it on Wednesday morning.

Mortal remains of the victim arrive from the hospital at a residence in the Kailash Hills area of Amar Colony on Wednesday (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

According to police aware of the case details, Meena had travelled overnight to Delhi by hiring a van and then came straight to the house. When a Delhi Police team reached Alwar on Wednesday morning, they were informed that the police had received a complaint around 10pm on Tuesday from a woman – the wife of one of Meena’s acquaintances – alleging that he had raped her that night.

Alwar superintendent of police (SP) Sudhir Chaudhary said the complainant alleged that the accused, a friend of her husband, came to her house late Tuesday night while her husband was attending a wedding and sexually assaulted her. Alwar police said the accused and the woman’s husband were reportedly “associated through gambling activities.”

According to investigators, Meena left Alwar shortly after the complaint was filed and made his way to Delhi. He allegedly sold one of his phones for ₹10,000, hired a van, promising to pay the driver ₹6,000 for the trip. “However, he reached Delhi and deboarded the van without paying the driver,” an officer said.

What happened to Delhi woman: Cops reveal details (HT GFX)

He entered the house around 6.39 am, when he murdered the 22-year-old, the daughter of a civil servant father and a dentist mother, said joint commissioner of police (southern range) Vijay Kumar, adding that Meena was arrested late Wednesday.

During preliminary interrogation, it emerged that the motive behind the rape-murder-robbery may also be “revenge or a grudge he was holding against the family for letting him go, but we will ascertain that after detailed questioning,” an officer said.

How suspect gained entry

On Wednesday, Meena was seen in the locality around 6.30am on CCTV, police said. He was spotted again in CCTV footage leaving the house around 7.15am, they added. Joint CP Kumar said he changed his pants and shoes before leaving.

He spent about 40 minutes inside, during which he allegedly raped and strangled the victim to death, and fled with cash and valuables in a black backpack, one of the investigators said.

According to the officer, the victim’s 55-year-old father told them that the suspect was employed by the family for roughly 10 months before being dismissed two months ago over his habit of borrowing small sums from neighbours.

‘Strong’ security system at house

According to a senior police officer, the house had what the family described as a “strong” security system, with a digital lock on the main door of the third floor, a steel gate before the entry to the floor via the staircase, and another door outside the lift on the third floor. The steel door could only be opened using a smart card.

“There was no way to enter via the staircase as it was latched from inside. But whenever the couple left for the gym, they told us that they would leave the door outside the lift open and take their own smart card for their return entry, to ensure their daughter wasn’t disturbed while she slept,” an officer said.

However, when the couple left the house in the morning, they hid one smart card outside the house, which their domestic helps – including Meena – knew about. “They would keep one smart key outside the main door for the helps, and they all knew where,” the officer said.

Meena was aware of the couple’s routine and the placement of the key.

Residents in the area confirmed that Meena had approached several people for money. A vegetable vendor who operates in the same street said, “He had asked me for money too, but I refused. I never gave him vegetables on credit unless he made me speak to his employer.”