NEW DELHI: A 22-year-old daughter of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was murdered on Wednesday morning at her residence in south Delhi’s Kailash Hills. Police said the victim was allegedly raped before being strangled with a mobile phone charging wire and was hit on the head with a stick. The accused, a sacked domestic help, was held after a day-long hunt.
The victim, an engineering graduate preparing for the UPSC examination, was alone at home at the time of the crime, as her parents had gone to a gym. When the couple returned around 8 am, they found their daughter lying unconscious on the floor and rushed her to a hospital, where she was declared brought dead.
Crime and forensic teams were called to collect evidence. Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Vijay Kumar said, “The accused Rahul Meena was arrested in the evening from an OYO hotel in Dwarka. We have strong evidence and will present a solid case to ensure he receives the strictest punishment.” A case has been registered under charges of rape and murder. The Delhi Police learnt that the accused also had a case of rape registered against him in Alwar.
During the probe, suspicion fell on Meena, a former domestic worker who had been removed about one and a half months ago. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts showed he entered the colony at around 6.30 am, the house at 6.39 am, and left around 7.20 am. Police said he knew where the keys were kept outside for the maid, who was on leave for the day.
The victim’s room was on the upper floor. Investigators believe Meena went upstairs, committed the crime, ransacked a cupboard, and stole `2– `2.5 lakh.
Some of the stolen cash has been recovered. After the crime, he changed his trousers before fleeing. A car cleaner saw him in the morning and questioned his presence, to which he replied that he had some work to do.
Meena had been dismissed over complaints of borrowing money due to online gaming addiction.
Accused an addict of online gaming, borrowed money
The accused was addicted to online games and used to borrow money from other domestic workers and staff in nearby houses, and did not repay them. Police are probing if the crime was related to his dismissal.
