The case of rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman in south Delhi’s Kailash Hills, Amar Colony area, in New Delhi by a former domestic help, has hit the headlines due to the nature of the events and the series of horrific incidents that unfolded in the last 48 hours.
The police have arrested a 23-year-old former domestic employee named Rahul Meena. He is currently in judicial custody for four days.
Here’s how the sequence of events in the case unfolded:
Tuesday night: Alleged assault in Alwar
According to police, Rahul allegedly raped another woman in Alwar, Rajasthan just hours before committing the crime in Delhi. The complainant alleged that the accused, a friend of her husband, visited her house late on Tuesday night while her husband was attending a wedding and sexually assaulted her, Alwar Superintendent of Police Sudhir Chaudhary said. The police in Alwar added that the accused and the woman’s husband were associated with gambling activities, as reported by HT earlier.
Wednesday morning: Rahul flies to Delhi
Police said Rahul traveled to Delhi the next morning. Investigators said Rahul left Alwar soon after filing the complaint and traveled to Delhi.
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He allegedly sold one of his phones for Rs 10,000 and hired a truck and promised the driver $6000 per trip. “However, he reached Delhi and got off the truck without paying the driver,” an officer said.
Rahul heads home to Kailash Hills at 6:28 am
The accused was seen entering the house in Kailash Hills at 6:28 am in the CCTV footage. According to a senior police officer, the house had what the family described as a “robust” security system, including a digital lock on the main door on the third floor, a steel gate at the entrance to the stairs to the floor, and another door outside the elevator on the third floor. The steel door can only be opened with a smart card. But police said there was a loophole in the system.
The accused was aware of the hidden smart card used for entry
The couple would leave the door outside the lift open when they went to the gym and carry their smart card for re-entry, while keeping another card hidden outside the house to use at home, ensuring their daughter was not disturbed while sleeping, HT had previously reported.
Read also | Kailash Hills horror: IIT graduate raped and murdered in posh south Delhi neighborhood by former domestic help
The police officer said that all the domestic help, including Meena, were aware of the location where the smart card was kept. “They kept one smart key outside the main door for assistance, and they all knew where it was,” the officer said. Investigators added that Mina was familiar with the couple’s routine and placed the key.
Inside the house for 40 minutes: assault and murder
After entering the house, he went straight to the rooftop study room where the officer’s daughter, an IIT graduate preparing for civil services, was present, the police said.
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Police allege that he attacked the woman, strangled her using a mobile phone charging cable and hit her with a heavy object, causing her to lose consciousness. “Investigation indicates that the accused raped the victim while she was still unconscious. He then dragged her down the stairs to another room where a safe was kept. He tried to open the biometric lock using her fingerprint, but it did not open,” a police official told PTI.
He then opened the safe using a screwdriver, took the money and jewelry, changed his clothes and left the house.
The incident came to light around eight in the morning
The incident came to light when the victim’s parents returned home around 8 a.m. and found their daughter unresponsive. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
What does the CCTV footage show?
Police said CCTV footage shows Rahul entering the colony around 6:30 am, entering the house at 6:49 am and leaving at 7:20 am.
Arrest in Dwarka on Wednesday
After leaving the house, the accused took an auto rickshaw to a hotel in Dwarka where he checked in. Police tracked the car and identified the driver during the investigation. He was later arrested from the hotel on Wednesday.
Forensic findings
Dr Sudhir Gupta of AIIMS Delhi said the autopsy showed multiple injuries, including abrasions and a broken nose. The results indicated death due to strangulation after the assault. The samples were preserved for further analysis.
Court and custody procedures
The accused was produced before Judicial Magistrate Dipika Thakaran, where he said: “Mujhse apradh ho gaya… Galti ho gayi.” The court granted Delhi Police four days of custodial interrogation.
Officials said he changed his statements several times during questioning.
What was revealed after death?
An autopsy conducted later on Wednesday confirmed that the victim had been sexually assaulted; Strangulation was established as the cause of death. The body was then handed over to the family for the last rites.
The investigation is ongoing across two states
Police said they would reconstruct the sequence of events from Alwar to Kailash Hills and then to Dwarka. He is also likely to be sent back to Alwar, where a separate rape case has been registered against him.
“Our teams are working to ascertain the exact sequence of events, both in Rajasthan and Delhi. We are also scanning the trail of CCTV footage,” an official said.
