Hauz Khas rape case: Delhi Police arrests man

NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping a 24-year-old northeastern woman in Hauz Khas village area.

"Genral alias Raja, a resident of Arjun Nagar, has been arrested. He used to wash utensils at the restaurants and pubs located there," DCP (South) Ishwar Singh said.

Raja, accused of raping the woman twice at south Delhi's popular Deer Park, worked as a 'safai karamchari' at one of the restaurants in Hauz Khas village and was aware of the topography of the area. He had consumed liquor on the night of the incident, he said.

Raja told the police that after raping the woman, he robbed her of her iPhone and Rs 600. He hadn't come to his house for two days after the incident but was nabbed once he returned home today, police said.

Ten teams were deployed for combing the area. The footage from CCTV cameras installed in Hauz Khas village and other places were scrutinised. A grab of Raja's juvenile friend, who had left with the woman's sister, was found and developed, another officer said.

Police traced Raja through his juvenile friend and arrested him. The iPhone and Rs 450 that he had stolen from her were recovered.

The incident happened on the night of February 18 when the woman was returning from a party in Hauz Khas village along with her friends and cousins.

The woman told police that around 11.30 PM she was offered a drop home by an unknown person.

Raja apparently told her that his vehicle was parked at some distance near the park. Thereafter, on the pretext of guiding the woman, he led her to an isolated stretch in the adjoining park area and allegedly raped her, said the officer.

In a bid to escape from his clutches, the woman hit him on his head with a stone, injuring him but he managed to run away by scaling the wall of the park.