New Delhi, Sept. 19: The alleged gang rape and murder of a teenage girl in Delhi, involving three juveniles among four accused, has triggered renewed concerns over women’s safety in the national capital, with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi questioning accountability for crimes against women.
Priyanka Gandhi, in a post on X on Saturday, said the 17-year-old girl had been subjected to sexual violence before being killed and questioned whether authorities were taking adequate responsibility for women’s safety. She also alleged that women facing violence often struggle to secure concrete action, including registration of First Information Reports.
She said both society and the government had failed to ensure women’s rights to safety, freedom and equality. The remarks came a day after Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also raised the case, questioning the responsibility of authorities and calling for strict action against those accused.
Police said four persons, including three juveniles aged 16 and 17, have been apprehended in connection with the case. The adult accused has been identified as Shivam, alias Sudama, alias Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony.
The case came to light on September 13, when police found the severely decomposed body of the girl near Jaipal Rana’s field along Kushak Road in Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar. The condition of the body initially prevented investigators from determining the victim’s gender. Police said parts of the body had been eaten by stray dogs and one hand was found detached.
According to investigators, the girl knew the accused and had travelled with them in a tempo. Police said the group consumed alcohol during the journey before the girl was allegedly sexually assaulted. She was subsequently stabbed to death and her body was allegedly abandoned in the open field.
Police said the victim’s family had not filed a missing-person complaint, telling investigators that she sometimes left home and returned after several days. With no apparent eyewitnesses and the suspects initially unidentified, investigators examined CCTV footage from more than 50 cameras covering the suspected crime scene and adjoining routes.
The footage showed a tempo moving in the area, but poor visibility and darkness prevented investigators from initially reading its registration number. Police subsequently tracked its movements across multiple locations and traced the vehicle during a night-long operation between September 15 and 16.
Investigators questioned the tempo driver, leading to the apprehension of the four
