The Delhi Police on Tuesday said that the preliminary autopsy report of the 20-year-old girl who was killed in Delhi in Sultanpuri area revealed that shock and haemorrhage due to injury to the head, spine and lower limbs led to her death. It also indicated “no injury suggestive of sexual assault”, reported The Indian Express. The autopsy was conducted at the Maulana Azad Medical College in central Delhi. Her body has been handed over to the family members today after the autopsy, following which she was cremated in Aman Vihar area.
The report said that all injuries on the victim were produced by blunt force impact, and possibly with vehicular accident and dragging.
“In case FIR no. 2/23 PS Sultanpuri, the PME of the victim lady was conducted by a three member medical board in MAMC New Delhi on 2/1/2023. Today, PM report has been obtained in which it has been stated the Provisional cause of death is as follows: Shock and Haemorrhage as a result of antemortem injury to the head, spine, left femur, both lower limbs. All injuries produced by blunt force impact and possible with vehicular accident and dragging. Also, the report indicates that there is no injury suggestive of sexual assault. The final report will be received in due course. Further investigation in the case is underway. Sagar Preet Hooda, IPS, Special CP/ Law & Order, Zone II,” the police statement read.
Anjali Singh’s body dragged for over 10 km
The deceased Anjali Singh was killed in the wee hours on January 1 after her scooter was hit by a car, which dragged her for over 10 kilometres from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala area, where her body was found naked on a roadside, said police. Singh, a Sultanpuri resident, worked part-time with an event management firm and had been out for work on New Year’s eve.
Singh was the sole breadwinner of the family and her mother suffers kidney-related ailment and requires dialysis. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of the deceased, adding that the Delhi government will appoint the best lawyer to fight the case.
Who are the five accused arrested?
Five accused who were in the Maruti Suzuki Baleno car have been arrested and booked for culpable homicide among other sections on Monday. The FIR named Deepak Khanna (26), who drove a Gramin Sewa auto and was behind the Baleno’s wheels; Amit Khanna (25), who works for a nationalised bank in Uttam Nagar; Krishan (27), who worked at the Spanish Culture Centre at Connaught Place; Mithun (26), a hairdresser at a salon; and Manoj Mittal (27), a ration shop owner and a BJP functionary in Sultanpuri.
A Delhi court on Monday remanded all the accused in police custody for three days. 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. The union ministry has also stepped in and union Home Minister Amit Shah directed the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to submit fact-finding inquiry in connection with the death of the 20-year-old girl.
Deceased accompanied by female friend
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, police said investigations revealed that the deceased was accompanied by her female friend at the time of the incident. She sustained minor injuries, and had fled from the spot. Sagar Preet Hooda, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) said that her statement was recorded under 164 CrPC.
Since she was scared, she fled when the accident took place leaving her friend behind, Hooda said, adding that she did not tell about the accident with anyone else.
Where was the Police?
The incident also brought to light the main question: Where was the police on the most intensely patrolled night of the year, with roughly 18,000 police and security personnel on the streets of the national capital for New Year’s Eve? It took almost two hours between the first PCR call and Singh’s body being found, The Indian Express reported. In this duration, approximately five PCR calls were made.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly Rakhi Birla’s car was attacked and the protesters damaged a window outside Sultanpuri police station. Protests erupted outside the Sultanpuri police station following her death.
Protestors also tore up BJP posters, saying one of the faces is that of BJP functionary Manoj Mittal, one of the accused.
AAP alleges L-G shielding one accused
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has come down heavily on the saffron party and alleged that Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Delhi are “protecting” Mittal as he is associated with the BJP.
Meanwhile, an IE report said that the Kanjhawala road where the incident happened had streetlights, but all were unlit, and CCTVs were largely absent. The road was uneven and riddled with potholes. The absence of police chowkis on the stretch was also glaring on the road.
