Two of the three men accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl on gunpoint at a Delhi park earlier this week had deleted their mobile phone search histories and other data before being arrested, the police have said.
The accused – Mukesh Singh (24) and Hemant Singh (31), both of whom are brothers – had started preparing for a possible police action and erased their search histories, besides a couple of videos and photos, before they were nabbed on Tuesday.
"We found the two accused deleted all their search history on their phones. We don't know what they searched for after the crime but they deleted it. They also deleted phone data, including photos and videos. Besides, they washed their clothes after committing the crime,” a police officer privy to the probe details said.
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Deep Dive
What actions did the Delhi gang-rape accused take to erase evidence before their arrest?
Why is the lack of CCTV coverage in Aastha Kunj Park a concern in the Delhi gang-rape investigation?
How did the police apprehend the third accused in the Delhi gang-rape case?
HT reported on Thursday that the brothers visited a restaurant immediately after committing the crime. Thereafter, they returned to their house in Sri Niwaspuri area, where they washed their clothes to erase all evidence.
{{/usCountry}}HT reported on Thursday that the brothers visited a restaurant immediately after committing the crime. Thereafter, they returned to their house in Sri Niwaspuri area, where they washed their clothes to erase all evidence.
{{/usCountry}}The third accused was identified as Asif (30) and has also been arrested.
The revelations came as the police stepped up their probe into the alleged gang-rape of the minor inside the 142-acre Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Temple. 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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Police also said Asif had switched off his mobile phone the moment he learnt from local residents that police were searching for him.
"Asif works in Okhla Mandi and went there after the incident on Monday evening. He soon found out through local residents that the police were searching for him. He switched off his phone and went home to take his bike,” a second officer said.
“The accused later attempted to escape from Tughlakabad to somewhere else but was caught near Amar Colony on Tuesday morning,” the officer added.
Asif was held after a brief exchange of gunfire, the police said. He was caught with his unlicensed firearm and knife which he was also carrying at the time of the crime, they added.
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Asif was spotted with a knife and harassing couples, by local residents inside the park, according to HT’s report on Thursday.
"We have found objectionable videos on his phone. He also shot some videos in the park. We are checking all the videos,” the second officer said.
Police said they are also checking the "past conduct" of all the accused.
"It is confirmed that Asif was harassing people in the park and that Hemant was removed from a gym near his house. He used to go to work out there but was removed after some women accused him of harassment. Hemant was also preparing for judiciary exams and claimed to be a graduate from Maharshi Dayanand University in Haryana,” the second officer said.
Police said they will also contact Mukesh's college authorities in Palwal to check his conduct. "He hardly went to college. The family is also in Palwal and Faridabad but the brothers were living in Delhi. Mukesh said he travels from Sri Niwaspuri to Palwal to attend college,” the second officer said.
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.
The accused was sent to two days’ jail custody by a court on Wednesday.