On Tuesday, the police arrested a 28-year-old man named Gopal from Kardampuri in connection with the case. (File) A day after a 23-year-old assistant manager working with a public sector bank was molested and robbed by an auto-rickshaw driver near IGI Stadium, Delhi Police sleuths posed as financiers and followed at least half a dozen vehicle sellers and buyers to trace the accused driver and arrested him Tuesday.
The woman was travelling in an auto-rickshaw Monday when the driver stopped on the side of the road to answer nature’s call but then grabbed the woman and molested her. The woman alleged he grabbed her by the neck and the two got into a scuffle after which he threatened to kill her. She jumped off the moving vehicle to save herself and the accused fled with her bag.
On Tuesday, the police arrested a 28-year-old man named Gopal from Kardampuri in connection with the case. The investigation in the case revealed that the auto-rickshaw used in the crime has been resold many times.
Shweta Chauhan, DCP (Central) said, “Based on the woman’s complaint, we contacted the regional transport office to get hold of the owner of the vehicle but he said he had sold the auto-rickshaw to his friend who had further sold it to someone else.”
The owner was found at Lok Nayak Hospital and called in for an investigation. He told the police he had sold the auto-rickshaw to a financier named Rahul Khanna. Police then went to the office of the financier to find that the vehicle was with another financier named Shankar.
“We then went to meet Shankar who told us he gave the vehicle to a driver named Shilpi who used it for four months. Shilpi revealed the vehicle is being used by two brothers in Kardampuri,” said Chauhan.
The police team then posed as financiers and went to meet the brothers at their home in Kardampuri on the pretext of taking money for the vehicle.
The owner said his brother Gopal had taken the auto-rickshaw and will come back in some time. When Gopal came back, he was questioned about the vehicle.
“We had identified the driver based on the woman’s complaint. Gopal was arrested from his home,” said the police.
The police also recovered the stolen phone and charger from Gopal’s house that belonged to the complainant.
Tuesday, the woman told The Indian Express that the accused choked her at one point and she pleaded but he didn’t listen. She then punched him after which he jumped to the driver’s seat and accelerated. He threatened to kill her and scratched her face. Fearing for her safety, she jumped off the auto-rickshaw.
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