The lack of patrolling and security infrastructure inside the 142-acre Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Temple apparently made it possible for the three men to gang-rape a 17-year-old on gunpoint, despite one of them having been previously seen carrying a knife and harassing couples by locals in the area.
This was never reported to us, so we are looking for more proof,” said a senior police officer. “We found that people mostly complained that Asif was generally seen with a knife. Also, we are probing allegations that the three would harass some couples. An unlicensed firearm and a knife were found in his possession. Later, Mukesh and Hemant were arrested from their home in Sri Niwaspuri.
The horrific crime took place around 7.15pm-7.30pm on Monday while the girl, a Class 11 student, along with a 17-year-old male friend, were visiting the park on her 17th birthday. Police identified the accused as Asif, 30, and brothers Mukesh Singh, 24, and Hemant Singh, 31. On Tuesday morning, Asif was apprehended first, around 6 am, from Amar Colony after a brief exchange of fire. During the interrogation, they told police that they had been roaming around for nearly 45 minutes looking for a target when they saw the minors sitting in a secluded spot.
Staff members and guards from the park, as well as a nearby godown, and regular visitors identified Asif in particular as a local troublemaker, said police. Police said they are probing whether the men used the same modus operandi to target other women in the park. Judging them to be easy targets, the three then decided to threaten them by posing as policemen, said the second officer. The first officer said that after scanning CCTV footage from peripheral areas and going through their call detail records, police were able to trace the movements of the three men from after the incident.
