Woman dragged under car for 12 kms was alone, escaped friend called for testimony; MHA seeks report, special inquiry team formed

Relatives and family members of Anjali at Sanjay Gandhi hospital, who was dragged for 12 kilometres under a car in Kanjhawala, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

Investigation into the Kanjhawala case has revealed that the 20-year-old woman who was killed after her scooter was hit by a car was accompanied by a friend at the time of the accident who had fled the scene out of fear, police said on January 3.

The woman has been called to record her statement, they said.

In CCTV footage recovered by the police, the victim was seen leaving a hotel around 1.45 a.m. after a New Year party. She was wearing a pink-coloured T-shirt and her friend a red one.

According to the footage, initially, the friend was driving the scooter, while the victim sat in the back seat.

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A footage later showed them to have changed places, with the victim in the driver’s seat when it was hit by a car, according to police.

The friend, police said, escaped with minor injuries and fled the spot, while the victim got stuck under the car and was dragged along.

The woman, who was the sole breadwinner of her family, was dragged for 12 kilometres under the car and was found naked by a road in Kanjhawala, according to police.

The investigating team is also expected to take the accused to the spot on Tuesday to recreate the crime scene, police said.

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Five men who were allegedly in the car were booked for culpable homicide among other sections on Monday even as the police came under charges of conducting a “shoddy investigation” in the matter.

A medical board has conducted a post-mortem of the body, and its report, which will confirm whether the woman was raped, is still awaited.

MHA seeks report, special inquiry team formed

As outrage mounted over the incident, the Union Home Ministry on Monday sought a detailed report from the Delhi Police on the direction of Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Delhi Police has also constituted an inquiry committee, headed by Special Commissioner Shalini Singh, and asked her to submit a probe report as early as possible, officials said.

All five accused were sent to a three-day police custody on Monday.

Prima facie, it is suspected that the accused were intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Sources said that their blood samples have been sent for medical examination to ascertain if they were drunk at the time of the incident. The report is awaited.

Special Commissioner team visits Sultanpuri-Kanjhawala road stretch for investigation

Special Commissioner of Police Shalini Singh with her team has inspected the 12-km-long stretch from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala along which the woman was dragged, police said.

A senior police officer said that as part of the inquiry, Ms. Singh with her team on Monday night visited the crime scene and inspected the stretch of road in outer Delhi, where the woman was dragged by a car after she got stuck under it.

According to sources, the team’s primary responsibility is to do an analysis of the stretch and suggest improvements to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

It will also be looking if all Standard Operating Procedures were followed by the police and whether they responded in time to the incident, and on the basis of the outcome, assign responsibility.

“After it has done its analysis and recorded statements of police personnel who were the first responders, a detailed report will be submitted which may also include suggestions such as if extra lights, patrolling vehicles, and CCTVs need to be installed along the stretch,” said a source.

AAP MLAs to meet Delhi Commissioner today

Meanwhile, a delegation of AAP MLAs will meet Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on January 3 to demand the strictest punishment for the people involved in the Kanjhawala incident.

“A group of @AamAadmiParty MLAs will be meeting the @DelhiPolice Commissioner at 11 a.m., to discuss strongest possible action against perpetrators of Kanjhawala crime and those protecting the perpetrators.

“Will also discuss how to make Delhi safer for women,” AAP MLA Atishi said in a tweet.