NEW DELHI: Exactly a year back, a dismal day began in the city, a horrific sight to begin the new year; a woman lying naked on the streets of the capital. Initially, it was perceived as a brutal incident of sexual assault. However, it was revealed that the gory sight was from a rather violent accident, one that we will be reminded of every New Year’s day.
Amid the celebrations of the night of another new year, Anjali Kumari was hit by a car. Then, her body was dragged on the road, underneath the vehicle, for around 90 minutes on a stretch of around 10-12 kilmeters.
She was found lying naked and mutilated on a road of the national capital. The post-mortem report revealed the extent of damage that had been inflicted on her body during the accident. Due to the constant abrasion on the road, her skull was completely fractured, her brain popped out.
There were at least 40 external injuries and her ribs were exposed from the back as flesh had completely peeled off. There were deep cut wounds on both arms and forehead, her legs were fractured.It took almost 7 days for Delhi Police to completely crack the case, even after arresting 5 of the 7 accused within 12 hours of the incident. Of the remaining two, one was nabbed while the other surrendered.
Now, a year passed and all culprits behind bars, the mother of the victim girl continues to feel pangs remembering the way her daughter met the most horrid end.“I remember I was continuously getting phone calls from relatives asking what had actually happened. I was speechless. Every year Anjali would take us to a place of worship on the first day of the year.Now, her death left a void, nobody can fill,” Anjali’s mother Rekha told the newspaper.
40-year-old Rekha, living with her three children, says that she still remembers those horrific images of her daughter after the accident and they will continue to haunt her for the rest of her life. “I want to tell everyone, to celebrate responsibly,” Rekha said.