A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by three men who posed as policemen at Astha Kunj Park near Delhi’s Kalkaji area on Monday evening. Police said all three accused Asif, Hemant and Mukesh were arrested on Tuesday.
According to police, the teenager had visited Kalkaji Mandir with her 17-year-old male friend around 7pm to offer prayers. Around 7:30pm, the two went to nearby Astha Kunj Park and sat on a bench.
The three accused, aged between 24 and 31, allegedly approached them while pretending to be policemen. Police said the men threatened the teenagers with a knife and a firearm before sexually assaulting the girl inside the park.
One of the accused allegedly restrained the teenage boy while the others assaulted the girl. After the incident, the men reportedly threatened the teenagers with arrest before leaving the area.
Police launched an investigation and began searching for the accused. Asif was later located near DM Office Road in Amar Colony, where police said he opened fire at the police team during an attempted arrest. According to the police account, he fired three rounds. One bullet reportedly struck the bulletproof jacket of head constable Rajesh, following which the officer fired in self-defence and injured Asif in the leg.
Asif was subsequently taken into custody. The other two accused, Hemant and Mukesh, who police said are brothers and students, were also arrested.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the reasons the accused allegedly posed as police officers.
The case has raised fresh concerns about the safety of minors and women in public spaces in the national capital.
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