New Delhi: The Delhi Police Tuesday arrested a 30-year-old sweeper in the case involving the alleged assault and rape of an 87-year-old woman in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar area.
The crime is believed to have occurred Sunday afternoon, when the bedridden octogenarian was alone in her house. The accused allegedly broke in and attacked her, leaving her with injuries.
The accused, Ankit, had allegedly also stolen the elderly woman’s mobile phone after assaulting her. He has been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 376 (rape), among others.
“The accused was arrested within 16 hours of the rape complaint. Victim’s mobile phone was recovered from him. Further investigation is on,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Prashant Gautam told ThePrint.
According to Gautam, Ankit works as a sweeper in the locality where the crime took place.
Sources in the Delhi Police said the accused was found in an inebriated condition. “He was [also] intoxicated at the time of the crime. He is disoriented. We are trying to establish the exact motive,” said a senior police officer who didn’t wish to be named. “The 30-year-old is unmarried, his mother keeps sick. His father died some years back.”
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The case and charges against police
On Sunday, only a theft case under IPC section 380 was lodged against an unidentified person in the matter. Family members claimed the police initially “coaxed” them not to file a rape case citing court and societal challenges, but the police denied the allegations.
A rape case was registered Monday after the family filed a fresh complaint alleging assault and rape.
Gautam told ThePrint that the medical test of the octogenarian had been completed and had confirmed sexual assault.
The woman was found by her 65-year-old daughter, in a partially uncovered position, her mouth bleeding. The daughter had gone out of the house around 12.20 pm, and bolted the door from outside. That is when the accused allegedly broke in. The victim was found by the family members around an hour later.
The woman’s family members had earlier told ThePrint that the accused entered the house on the premise of checking the gas connection.
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