The incident took place in the residence of a 22-year-old female belonging to the family of a senior official of the government. Her father is a civil servant, and she is a student at IIT. She was preparing for the UPSC examination. She was found dead in her residence.
Breach of Trust and Calculated Entry
The police arrested Rahul Meena, 23, a former employee who worked as a domestic help but was sacked by the family almost two months ago. According to the investigators, Rahul took advantage of the familiarity with the house’s security systems, supposedly having known about the existence of another or hidden key that could give him access to the house. The incident happened in the morning when the parents were out for their daily exercise session.
The presence of security systems notwithstanding, it appears that the accused moved around the premises easily, highlighting weaknesses arising out of internal familiarity. Early results indicate that there were aspects of premeditation involved, owing to the fact that he was aware of when and how to break in.
Assault, Murder, and Robbery in Narrow Window
Based on the statements of police, the suspect directly encountered victim in her own house, subdued her, and committed sexual acts against her. He then strangled her to death with a cable or charger wire. Investigators also discovered that the victim may have been unconscious throughout some of the assault and that the body was carried around the house.
The suspect is said to have used the fingerprints of the victim to gain access to the locker and made off with money and jewelry. Authorities believe the entire episode took place in less than 40 minutes.
Attempted Cover-up and Swift Escape
The suspect apparently tried to avoid being caught by changing clothes and covering up any evidence before escaping. This crime came to light when the parents of the victim came back home and found out that their daughter had been murdered.
After a multi-location tracking effort, a prompt police operation resulted in his arrest later that day from a hotel in Dwarka. Additionally, investigators have connected him to a different sexual assault case in Alwar, Rajasthan, which is thought to have happened just hours before the Delhi event.
The investigation is still on, and police are trying to investigate each possible motive behind this brutal crime. The accused was found to be in a financial crisis since he owed a debt of worth Rs. 7 Lakh and was also addicted to gambling. The crimes of murder, rape, and robbery have been registered, and investigations are ongoing.
