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Rape in Alwar, 40 minutes of brutality in Delhi hours later: Accused's horrific crime trail
Rahul Meena has been arrested for the rape and murder of a 22-year-old IIT graduate in Kailash Hills.
A 22-year-old woman was raped and murdered by a former domestic help at her residence in south Delhi’s Kailash Hills on Wednesday. The accused, 23-year-old Rahul Meena, has been arrested and sent to four-day police custody.
The case, police say, spans Rajasthan and Delhi and multiple crimes within 24 hours. Meena was earlier employed at the victim’s home and knew the family’s routine and security system.
According to police, Meena first allegedly raped a friend’s wife in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Tuesday night. The complainant said he entered the house while her husband was away and raped her. Officials said Meena and the woman’s husband were linked through gambling activities.
After that, he fled the area.
Travel to Delhi and money trail
Police said Meena left Alwar early Wednesday morning. He allegedly sold a mobile phone for ₹10,000, then hired a van, promising ₹6,000 to the driver. Meena did not pay the driver after reaching Delhi. He used another phone, which he later switched off.
Investigators said he moved between locations before reaching south Delhi.
Entry into Kailash Hills house
CCTV footage shows Meena entering the residential complex around 6:30 am and the house shortly after. The house had multiple security layers, including a digital lock and a smart-card system.
Police said there was a spare smart card kept outside for domestic help, and Meena knew its whereabouts. An officer said domestic staff were aware of where the keycard was kept.
Kailash Hills rape-murder case
Police said Meena entered the third-floor house where the victim, an IIT graduate preparing for civil services, was studying. According to investigators, he demanded money and then attacked her when she refused.
An officer said, “He first pressed her throat, then used a charger wire to strangle her, and then attacked her.” Police said she lost consciousness and was later raped.
A senior officer told PTI, “The investigation suggests that the accused raped the victim while she was still unconscious.”
He then tried to open a biometric locker using the victim’s fingerprint but failed. After that, he broke it open and took cash and jewellery worth ₹12 lakh. Meena also changed his blood-soaked clothes before leaving.
How the Kailash Hills woman died
The postmortem at AIIMS Delhi showed that the victim had multiple cuts and bruises. Her face was badly hurt and her nose was broken. Doctors also found clear signs that she was strangled, with serious injury to her neck, which caused her death.
Medical tests confirmed that she was also raped. The doctors said she died because of strangulation after a violent physical and sexual attack, and all samples were kept for further investigation.
Escape from the scene
Police said Meena stayed inside for around 40 minutes. He left the house around 7:15 am, took an autorickshaw, and went to a hotel in Dwarka.
CCTV showed his movement from the colony to the hotel area. The victim was found by her parents around 8 am. She was taken to hospital and declared dead.
Arrest from Dwarka hotel
Police traced Meena through CCTV and transport records and arrested him from a hotel the same evening. The hotel manager said, “I remember him. He had come to book a room. He told me he was from Alwar and had come to Delhi for some work. He was very calm and sweet. It did not look like he had committed such a horrific crime.”
Police said he ordered food, bought clothes online, and stayed in the room before arrest.
What he told court
Meena was produced before a magistrate and sent to four-day police custody.
He told the court, “Mujhse apradh ho gaya... Galti ho gayi.”
Later, during interrogation, he said, “Galti hogayi. Maine paise ke liye kiya. Fingerprint chahiye tha locker kholne ke liye.”
Police said his statements have changed multiple times during questioning.
Officials said Meena earlier worked at the victim’s house but was fired because of his habit of borrowing money and gambling debts. The victim’s mobile phone was later recovered from a park area after being dumped by the accused.
(With inputs from Hemani Bhandari, Jignasa Sinha and news agency PTI.)
