She went to meet a ‘friend’: 16-year-old found dead in Delhi field

Delhi: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four teenagers in Delhi's Swaroop Nagar, police said. One accused, aged 19, has been arrested, while three others, aged 16 and 17, have been apprehended.

Police said the girl had gone to meet a 17-year-old boy she appeared to know. Investigators believe the boy allegedly raped her before calling his friends, who are accused of joining the assault.

Body found in field

The girl's body was discovered in a field near Kushak Road on Sunday after local residents noticed dogs and other animals around it.

Police said the body was in an advanced state of decomposition and had suffered multiple injuries. The victim's right hand was missing and parts of her face and abdomen had been damaged by decomposition and animal activity.

A post-mortem examination confirmed rape, while investigators found eight wounds on the body.

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CCTV helped police trace suspects

Police examined more than 50 CCTV cameras while trying to reconstruct the girl's movements and identify those involved.

Investigators noticed a tempo near the location around the suspected time of the crime. Although its registration number was unclear, local enquiries helped police identify the vehicle.

The driver told investigators that his 17-year-old younger brother frequently used the tempo. CCTV footage reportedly showed four boys inside the vehicle.

Police subsequently traced the tempo to Khadda Colony in Swaroop Nagar and apprehended the four suspects.

Police recover knives and clothes

Police identified the accused as Shivam Ganesh, 19, and three minors aged 17 and 16.

Two knives allegedly used in the crime and clothes reportedly worn by the accused were recovered, police said. Investigators are examining forensic and technical evidence to establish the individual role of each accused and determine the exact sequence of events.

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 parents had not filed a missing-person complaint because they were unaware that she had left home and had been missing for two days.

Police have registered a case involving murder, rape and causing disappearance of evidence based on the family's statement and post-mortem findings. Investigators are also examining whether anyone else was involved and whether the alleged sexual assault took place inside the tempo or at the field.

The recovered evidence has been preserved for forensic examination, police said, and further investigation is continuing.