Police said they recovered kerosene, duct tape, burnt remains of the victim’s clothes, a Maruti van and an iron pipe from the juvenile. Days after the body of a 32-year-old woman was found in Dwarka, a medical board of doctors which conducted the autopsy has told the Delhi Police she was sexually assaulted and that her private parts were burnt to hide evidence of the assault.
Police on Monday said they have booked a juvenile in connection with the crime. Police said the boy, aged 17, allegedly tied the woman’s hands, raped her inside his house and killed her.
Police said they recovered kerosene, duct tape, burnt remains of the victim’s clothes, a Maruti van and an iron pipe from the juvenile. The items were used during the offence and to hide evidence and evade arrest, police said.
DCP (Dwarka) Shankar Choudhary confirmed that the juvenile has been apprehended. Senior police officers said they will move an application in court to try the accused as an adult.
The body was found wrapped in a cloth on November 15. Initially, the woman couldn’t be identified. Police said they sent teams to nearby localities and checked missing person records to identify her. CCTVs were also scanned to ascertain how and when the body was dumped. The woman was eventually identified as a resident of Dwarka. Police said she lived with her husband at a rented accommodation and worked as a domestic help.
Sources said the woman was last seen going to the juvenile’s home, near her residence. When police questioned him, he said he lives with his father and sister, and that he had called the woman home for some work and she left after some time.
“We found his statements vague and soon discovered that he had a Maruti van, which we had spotted in the CCTV footage. The van’s tyres were punctured and it had a different number plate. We searched his house and recovered an iron pipe. The forensics team was called in to check the van — hair and other biological samples were recovered from inside and the juvenile was apprehended. We also found that the registration number plate was fake,” said an officer.
During questioning, he eventually confessed to the crime. In his disclosure statement to police, he claimed he had called the woman to his house last week on the pretext of giving her work. He said that when she reached, he allegedly tied her up, sexually assaulted her, and strangled her when she resisted.
“He told police he burnt her private parts to destroy evidence. He also took her clothes and burnt them. We have recovered ashes from his house and some pieces of cloth along with duct tape,” said the officer.
The juvenile was booked under sections of murder and for causing the disappearance of evidence. After doctors confirmed sexual assault, sections of rape and assault were added.
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