Screengrab taken from the video.
New Delhi: While the world welcomed New Year 2023, a horrific incident rocked India’s capital Delhi where a 20-year-old died allegedly after her scooter was hit by a car. Her corpse was dragged by the vehicle for almost 13 kilometers.
What happened?
In the wee hours of Sunday, the woman, identified as Anjali Singh, who worked as an event planner, was returning home after work on her two-wheeler when a car allegedly hit her scooter and dragged her body for nearly one and a half hours.
The incident took place at North-West Delhi’s Sultanpuri and her body was dragged till Kanjhawala which is about 13 kilometers from where her scooter was hit.
Notably, the area where the accident took place is crime-infested.
Woman’s body found without clothes
The incident came to the fore after the Kanjhwala police station in Rohini district of Delhi received a PCR (Police Control Room) call around 3:30 am in which the caller said that a grey Baleno car dragged along the woman’s body.
The caller even noted the registration number of the car and read that out to the police who then communicated to its personnel deployed at the check points to stop the car and search it.
After few minutes, Kanjhawala police received another call which added that the woman’s naked body was lying on the road.
When the crime team reach the spot, they found the woman’s body without clothes and with broken limbs. The condition of the woman leads the police to suspect that she was sexually assaulted and later murdered.
The forensics team was called in to collect samples and exhibits from the crime scene. The body was sent to SGM Hospital in Mangolpuri.
The police later said that it appeared to be a case of death by rash and negligent driving.
With the help of registration number, the police were able trace the car. An investigation has been initiated and five men, including the owner of the four-wheeler, have been detained.
What did they reveal?
During the interrogation, the five men confessed that they were travelling in the car when it collided with the scooter which the woman was driving.
Following the accident, the car dragged her for about several kilometres in which her clothes got torn and she sustained grievous injuries that eventually led to her death.
The woman’s body was sent to the SGM hospital in Mangolpuri, where it was declared that she had died.
A report by ToI quoted an official privy to the investigation saying, “They said they were going on a narrow lane and a girl, approaching on her scooter, met with an accident. Since no one raised an alarm, they kept driving. It was later they realised that something was stuck in the car wheel and saw a woman’s body after driving for a few kilometres. They removed the body from the car and fled from the scene.”
Eyewitness account
Indian news agency ANI spoke to a witness, who runs a confectionery shop where the accident occurred the horrific incident.
Deepak Dahiya, the witness, said that the woman’s body got stuck under the car but the accused kept dragging the body for several kilometres.
“It was 3:20 am… I was standing outside the shop when I heard a loud noise from a vehicle about 100 meters away. Earlier I thought it was a tire burst. As soon as the car moved, I saw a body being dragged. I informed the police immediately,” Dahiya recalled.
He further said after dragging the body for quite some time, around 3:30 am, the car took a U-turn with the body of the woman still stuck under it.
Dahiya said the accused drove repeatedly on the road for about 4-5 kilometres by taking U-turns.
Family alleges sexual abuse
The victim’s family has alleged that the woman was sexually abused.
“It was not at all an accident. What sort of accident is this when there was not even a single cloth on my daughter’s body. We want complete investigation,” Rekha Devi, mother of the victim, said.
Her family blocked roads and protested on Monday outside the Sultanpuri Police Station.
5 booked for rash driving
The five men have been identified as Deepak Khanna (26), who drives an auto-rickshaw; Amit Khanna (25), who works for a nationalised bank; Krishan (27), who worked at the Spanish Culture Centre; Mithun (26), a hairdresser at a salon; and, Manoj Mittal (27), a ration dealer.
They have been booked for rash driving and causing death by negligence. Police are probing whether the accused knew the victim was being dragged but didn’t stop to help her.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.