70 teams of 1,200 cops hunt for accused in Gurugram minor’s rape-murder case
Police officers said 70 teams comprising 1,200 police personnel pulled from crime units, police stations and the intelligence wing were pressed into round-the-clock combing operations and raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Three days after a three-year-old girl was found raped and murdered in Gurugram’s Sector 66, a massive police hunt for the 20-year-old accused Sunil Kumar has still not led to his arrest.
The police questioned more than 200 people across the city Tuesday and Wednesday and shared the picture of the accused in connection with the rape and murder of a three-year-old wose body was found in Gurugram’s Sector 66 on November 12, 2018. (HT Photo)
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Police officers said 70 teams comprising 1,200 police personnel pulled from crime units, police stations and the intelligence wing were pressed into round-the-clock combing operations and raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
“We have rounded up some people for questioning who are linked to the accused. We have directed the teams to check all the places where all the accused had visited in the past,” said police commissioner K K Rao. “In 2015, he lived near the city bus stand and worked as a daily wage labourer. So the teams are checking all slums and night shelters also and have shared his picture to get an alert in case he visits the area.”
Police said they had traced his mobile phone location to Gajraula, his native village near Mathura, after the incident.
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“He has been playing hide and seek with the police. He had visited his village Gajraula on Sunday night but returned to Gururgam on Monday as per the phone records. Since then, we have no clue. We are hopeful of arresting the accused soon,”said , Shamsher Singh, assistant commissioner of police (crime).
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“He has been playing hide and seek with the police. He had visited his village Gajraula on Sunday night but returned to Gururgam on Monday as per the phone records. Since then, we have no clue. We are hopeful of arresting the accused soon,”said , Shamsher Singh, assistant commissioner of police (crime).
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Meanwhile, the neighbours of the victim said that the girl’s family was suffering from acute trauma and had not eaten anything since Monday when the girl’s body was found. The parents fear that the accused might harm them as well if he is not arrested soon.
“The accused should be hanged as soon as he is arrested,” the victim’s mother said.
On Tuesday, police said CCTV footage showed Kumar with the victim, leading her into the room and then fleeing without her on Sunday morning. Police released pirctures of the accused and announced a ₹2 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.
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A seven-member SIT, headed by deputy commissioner of police (crime), visited the spot on Wednesday and inspected the crime scene.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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