A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped and stabbed to death before her body was dumped in an open field in Delhi, with police arresting four people, including three juveniles, in connection with the crime, PTI reported.
According to police, the girl had gone with the accused in a tempo and was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed after they drank together inside the vehicle.
Police told PTI that the girl's decomposed body was found near Jaipal Rana's field on Kushak Road on September 13. It had deteriorated to such an extent that its gender could not be immediately ascertained.
Some parts of the body had also been reportedly eaten by stray dogs, while one of her hands was found separated from the body, they said.
The girl had not been reported missing by her family. Police said her family told them that she would often leave home and return after a few days.
A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
As there was no apparent eyewitness and the identities of the perpetrators were initially unknown, police teams analysed footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras covering the area and adjoining routes.
During the analysis, investigators noticed a tempo moving near the scene around the relevant time. Its registration number was not clearly visible due to darkness, following which they tracked its movement across multiple CCTV locations.
A night-long search operation was conducted during the intervening night of September 15 and 16, and the suspected tempo was traced to Khadda Colony in the Swaroop Nagar area.
Its driver was identified and questioned. The investigation subsequently led to the apprehension of four people, including three juveniles, allegedly linked to the crime.
The adult accused was identified as Shivam alias Sudama alias Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony, while the three juveniles are aged 16 and 17, police said.
Two knives allegedly used in the crime, clothes allegedly worn by the accused and the tempo were recovered.
Further investigation is underway to establish the sequence of events, ascertain the individual roles of those apprehended and verify the forensic and technical evidence, police said.
(With inputs from PTI)