Two men accused in the gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl inside a Delhi park visited a restaurant immediately after committing the crime, police have said.
The two accused brothers – Mukesh Singh (24) and Hemant Singh (31) – went for dinner at a restaurant and then returned home to wash their clothes to get rid of evidence, they added.
The development came as the police stepped up their probe into the alleged gang-rape of the minor on gunpoint inside the 142-acre Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Temple on Monday. The class 7 girl was visiting the park with a 17-year-old male friend on her 17th birthday when the crime took place at around 7.15pm-7.30pm.
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Deep Dive
What security measures are being proposed following the gang-rape incident in Aastha Kunj Park?
Why were the CCTV cameras in Aastha Kunj Park not operational at the time of the gang-rape?
How did the accused plan to evade capture after the gang-rape in Aastha Kunj Park?
The third accused was identified as Asif (30). All three were arrested on Tuesday.
“During the course of interrogation, the two brothers said they went to a restaurant to eat first (after the crime). They then returned home in Sri Niwaspuri area, where they washed their clothes to get rid of any evidence. When we arrested them at around 7 am on Tuesday, their washed clothes were found nearby,” a police officer privy to the details said.
“We have seized their phones but it seems they have added a lot of media recently. The FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) will try to recover the data,” the officer added.
{{/usCountry}}“We have seized their phones but it seems they have added a lot of media recently. The FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) will try to recover the data,” the officer added.
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A second officer said Asif – who was nabbed after a brief exchange of fire – learnt from local residents that the police were looking for him and decided to escape. “The two brothers were roaming around,” the officer said.
Police said they also found “objectionable” and pornographic content on Asif’s phone and have sought a report from the FSL.
Staff members and guards at the park as well as a nearby godown, and regular visitors identified Asif as a local troublemaker, the police said. An unlicensed firearm and a knife were found in his possession when he was arrested.
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“People mostly complained that Asif was generally seen with a knife. Also, we are probing allegations that the three would harass some couples. This was never reported to us, so we are looking for more proof,” a senior officer said.
On the day of the incident, the officer added, the accused were carrying at least two weapons – a firearm and a knife – and condoms with them.
The investigations, the police said, also revealed that the accused were roaming in the park for nearly 45 minutes, looking for a target when they saw the minors sitting in a secluded spot. They posed as policemen before targeting the couple.