New Delhi: The Delhi Police has found that the 20-year-old woman who died after being dragged by a car for several kilometres in the early hours of New Year was accompanied by another woman when the accident took place.
According to police, the second woman had fled the accident spot unhurt and did not inform authorities. Around 18,000 personnel were stationed that night for patrolling in the national capital.
Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Sagarpreet Hooda, Tuesday said, “We have found an eyewitness. She is unhurt. Her 164 CRPC statement is being recorded.”
The victim was killed after her scooter was hit by a car and she was dragged by the vehicle for around 12 kilometres — from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala. The five accused who were arrested in the case are Deepak Khanna (26), who drove a Gramin Sewa auto; Amit Khanna (25), who works for a nationalised bank in Uttam Nagar; Krishan (27), who worked at the Spanish Culture Centre in Connaught Place, Mithun (26), a hairdresser at a salon and Manoj Mittal (27), a BJP functionary in Sultanpuri.
According to sources in the Delhi Police, the victim had visited an event with her friend that night.
“The two women had left together from there and at the time of the accident, the other woman was also present on the scooty. However she was unhurt and left from the scene without informing the police. She is cooperating with the police now,” sources said.
Sources also added that five other men who were with the women during the event are being questioned.
Victim’s body found nearly two hours after accident
According to the police, the accused — who have now been arrested — had consumed alcohol and borrowed the car from another person that evening. While the incident took place between 2:05 and 2.30 am, the victim’s ‘naked body’ was found only past 4 am that morning, the police said.
An FIR, a copy of which is with ThePrint, states that the police had found a shoe along with the victim’s mangled scooter.
“An SHO found the scooty but couldn’t locate the accident or the victim. Later, through PCR calls, police from Rohini district were informed about the victim being dragged. The owner of the vehicle, Lokesh, was located, who then informed that his brother-in-law Ashutosh had taken the car and lent it to his friend Deepak (driver of the car) and Amit Khanna.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah has directed Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to submit a fact-finding enquiry in connection with the incident.
Also read: ‘Not an accident but murder’ — relatives of Sultanpuri victim, angry locals demand justice