Delhi Teen Gang-Raped by Men Posing as Cops Near Kalkaji Mandir
A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men posing as police officers inside Astha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir in Southeast Delhi, according to police officers cited by The Indian Express. The incident occurred on Monday evening after the victim visited the temple to offer prayers with a 17-year-old male friend, before the suspects confronted the teenagers, threatened them with legal action, and assaulted the victim while fleeing the scene.
Incident Details and Police Response
According to reports from The Indian Express and other outlets including The Hindu and Hindustan Times, the teenagers left the Kalkaji Mandir premises at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Monday to take a stroll in the nearby park. Three men aged between 25 and 30 approached the pair, identified themselves as law enforcement officers, and began questioning the victims about their presence in the area.
The suspects threatened the teenagers with legal consequences before forcing themselves on the girl. As stated in the victim’s account to law enforcement, one of the attackers restrained her male friend while the other two took turns assaulting her. The perpetrators fled the area immediately after the assault. A Police Control Room (PCR) call was placed at 8:45 p.m., prompting officers to arrive at the scene and transport the victim for an immediate medical examination. Authorities subsequently registered a case under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as reported by The Hindu.
Arrest and Ongoing Investigation
Early Tuesday morning, a police team tracked down one of the suspects, identified as Asif, following a brief encounter in Southeast Delhi, according to The Indian Express. The suspect sustained a bullet wound to his leg during the operation. Police officials stated that efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining two suspects involved in the attack.
Broader Security Context in the Capital
Four days prior to the Kalkaji Mandir incident, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and stabbed to death in Outer North Delhi by an acquaintance and three companions. Delhi Police subsequently apprehended four suspects in that case, three of whom are minors. In a separate incident on August 4, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped on a sleeper bus travelling nearly 47 kilometers from Greater Noida to Old Delhi’s Kashmere Gate without encountering a single police picket, during a journey that originated in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.