Kanjhawala death case: Delhi Police confirms Anjali Singh killed in 'accident'; rules out all other theories
Kanjhawala death case: Delhi police arrested all 5 accused and claimed it is a case of a road accident. However, the victim's family claimed police have been trying to cover up the case.
Kanjhawala death case: Not indulging much in details, the Delhi Police on Tuesday confirmed that the unfortunate death of Anjali Singh was due to an accident. The 20-year-old woman was dragged after her two-wheeler was hit by a car in outer Delhi, police said on Tuesday. The police also confirmed that there was another woman with the deceased at the time of the accident.
"Kanjhawala death case | The deceased was not alone on her scooty. A girl was with her at the time of the accident. She walked away from the spot after the accident. Now we have an eyewitness of the incident. Her statement will be recorded under 164 CrPC," Sagar Preet Hooda, Special CP Law and Order, Zone -2, said in his very short media address at police headquarters.
Earlier police said that the deceased, Anjali Singh, was not alone during the accident but her friend was also injured on the ill-fated day. According to Delhi police, her friend also suffered minor injuries before she fled from the spot.
Notably, Anjali Singh killed in the early hours of New Year after her scooter was hit by a car, was dragged for 12 kilometres under the vehicle on the city's roads, police said and added culpable homicide among other stringent sections on Monday in the case following protests over alleged "shoddy investigation".
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed it the "rarest of rare crime" and demanded the strictest punishment for those behind the incident, while L-G V K Saxena said his head hung in shame over the "inhuman" crime.
Also Read: Kanjhawla incident rarest crime, extremely shameful: CM Arvind Kejriwal
Massive protest outside police station
Scores of protesters gathered outside the Sultanpuri Police Station on Monday and blocked traffic demanding punishment for those responsible for the woman's death. A person, who claimed to be an eyewitness to the incident, alleged the woman's body was dragged for over one-and-half hours.
Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to Delhi Police Commissioner
Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to submit fact-finding inquiry in connection with the death of Anjali Singh. Special CP Shalini Singh was asked to conduct enquiry after forming a team.
Also Read: Kanjhawala girl death case: What we know so far
Five accused arrested
According to the FIR filed in the case, the five accused, who have been arrested, had borrowed the car hours before the incident which took place around 2 am on Sunday. Deepak Khanna and Amit Khanna took the car from their friend Ashutosh and later left the vehicle at his residence in an accidental condition. The two told Ashutosh they had drinks, and that the car met with an accident with a scooty in the Krishan Vihar area, the FIR states, adding they later fled towards Kanjhawala.
How police traced accused
Police found the scooter in accident condition in Krishan Vihar, Sultanpuri area. The FIR states that the Kanjhawala police station received three PCR calls that the naked body of a woman was found near Hanuman Mandir, Jonti village.
A sub-inspector from Kanjhawala police station contacted one of the callers and found out that a grey Baleno car was involved in the incident, following which police reached Budh Vihar, Phase-1 where the owner of the vehicle, Lokesh, was traced. He stated that his car was with his brother-in-law Ashutosh, a resident of Rohini Sector-1, according to the FIR.
Accused borrowed the car from his friend
Ashutosh further stated that his friend Deepak and Amit took the car from him on Saturday around 7 pm and later left the vehicle at his residence in accidental condition on Sunday around 5 am. After the police arrived at his place, Ashutosh called Deepak and Amit. Deepak told the sub-inspector that he was driving the car and Manoj Mittal, another accused, was sitting next to him. Mithun, Krishan and Amit were in the rear seat, the FIR said.
"In Krishan Vihar, they met with an accident with a scooter on which a woman was sitting. The woman fell off the scooter. They got scared and fled towards Kanjhawala," the FIR said. When they stopped the vehicle near Jonti village on Kanjhawala Road, they found the woman, who was sitting on the scooter, under the car. They got scared and left the victim there. Later, they went to Ashutosh's home, parked the car and proceeded towards their respective residences, the FIR added.
Charges of culpable homicide
Addressing a press conference here, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda said fresh charges could be added against the five accused arrested in connection with the case on the basis of the post-mortem report. The accused have been booked on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death by negligence and criminal conspiracy, according to police.
"The accused will be taken to the scene of the crime to verify their version of events. The timeline of events will be established on the basis of CCTV footage and digital evidence," Hooda told reporters. "The forensic examination of the vehicle is also being done," he said.
The victim's family is being updated about the investigation and has been assured that the police will gather all evidence to ensure that the accused get the strictest punishment, the officer said.
(With inputs from agencies)