Delhi horror: 16-year-old allegedly gang-raped and killed; dogs found eating her body, 4 teenagers held

Delhi: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Delhi's Swaroop Nagar, with police saying her heavily decomposed body was found in a field after residents alerted them that stray dogs were around it. Four teenagers, including three juveniles, have been taken into custody.

What happened

Delhi Police were alerted on the morning of September 13 after residents in Swaroop Nagar reported seeing dogs around a body in a field near Kushak Road. Police found a heavily decomposed body with severe injuries, and initially could not establish the victim's identity or even ascertain the gender because of the condition of the remains.

Police said one hand had been severed and parts of the body had been affected by animal activity. Investigators also reported multiple stab wounds and severe damage to the face. A post-mortem examination subsequently confirmed sexual assault, police said.

The victim was later identified as a 16-year-old girl. Investigators suspect the crime may have taken place on September 11, two days before the body was discovered.

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Four teenagers held

Police said the girl knew the accused and had travelled with them in a tempo on the day of the alleged crime. One accused is 19, while three others are juveniles aged 16 and 17.

According to the investigation, the girl had gone to meet a 17-year-old boy she appeared to know. Police allege that the boy sexually assaulted her before calling his friends, who are accused of joining the assault.

Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

More than 50 CCTV cameras examined

With no apparent eyewitness initially available, investigators examined footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras covering the area and adjoining routes.

Police noticed a tempo near the suspected crime scene around the relevant period. Although its registration number was not clearly visible because of darkness, investigators reportedly tracked the vehicle across multiple CCTV locations.

The tempo was eventually traced during a night-long operation between September 15 and 16. Police questioned the driver and subsequently traced four people allegedly linked to the crime.

Knives, clothes and tempo recovered

Police said two knives allegedly used in the crime, clothes allegedly worn by the accused and the tempo were recovered.

Investigators are examining forensic and technical evidence to establish the individual role of each accused and reconstruct the sequence of events. Police are also examining whether anyone else was involved and whether the alleged sexual assault took place inside the tempo or at the field.

Police said the girl had dropped out of school and had moved to Swaroop Nagar several years earlier. She was reportedly looking for work to support her parents and was living separately from them.

Her family had not filed a missing-person complaint because they were unaware that she had left home and had been missing for two days, police said.

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How the investigation progressed

The case initially presented investigators with significant identification challenges because the body was heavily decomposed and there was no apparent eyewitness. The CCTV investigation therefore became a key part of tracing the vehicle and reconstructing the victim's movements.

Police are now relying on CCTV footage, the recovered tempo, knives, clothing and forensic examination to determine what happened and establish the specific role allegedly played by each accused.

Because three of the four accused are juveniles, the case also involves the provisions applicable to children in conflict with the law, alongside the POCSO Act. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against the accused will have to be established through the legal process.