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)

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.

“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).

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.

A seven-member SIT, headed by deputy commissioner of police (crime), visited the spot on Wednesday and inspected the crime scene.