Three Delhi schoolgirls were reportedly given spiked drinks, kidnapped, and later sexually assaulted in Rohini. Four suspects, including two women associated with sex trafficking, were taken into custody.
A missing complaint was lodged at the Defence Colony Police Station on August 6, when the father of one of the survivors, Masjid Moth reported that his daughter left home at 7:30 and did not return.
Around 2 pm, the school van driver who used to ferry her to and from school every day informed the father that his daughter did not board the van on August 6 morning. School also reported her absence on that day.
According to Benita Mary Jaiker, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south), the police discovered that two other minor girls who went to the same school were also missing.
All three of the girls managed to escape from the hands of the abductor. Police stated that they were kidnapped from the Defense Colony and sent to Rohini, where they were assaulted.
4 suspects are now in custody in connection to this case. The accused go by the name, Sandeep AKA Shanky (36), Bangali Lal Sharma (45), Ruksana (40), and Jyoti (40).
However, Prakash AKA Minto AKA Sanjay, the fifth suspect is still missing.
This is a case of minor intimidation at the least and falls under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code as recorded at the Defence Colony station.
Day of arrest
An investigation was launched based on the statement of the survivor’s father.
A rigorous search was conducted by a team of expert officials who questioned the classmates, school employees, and parents of the missing girls. They checked the CCTV footage from the neighborhood.
A police official stated, “Meanwhile, information about the girls was received about their movement in the Karol Bagh area. After making sincere efforts, they were traced from the Karol Bagh area and were medically examined”. “The victims told the police that they were sexually assaulted”, he added.
Medical examination showed a history of sexual assault on all three of the girls.
Police later busted Minto’s residence on the same day and arrested Sharma along with Jyoti and Ruksana. They said that the kidnappers intended to sell them.
Sex trafficking syndicate
The kidnapped schoolgirls managed to escape while they were being transported to Chandigarh by one of the gang members, Minto. They got into an autorickshaw and reached Karol Bagh locality of Delhi, where they were traced and received by the police.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, this incident is connected to a sex trafficking syndicate. Police raided the house at Rohini where the girls were held hostage before transporting them to Chandigarh. One of the suspects, Sharma disclosed information about their syndicate mentioning Ruksana, who was involved in selling girls.
The DCP states, “As per the victim’s statement, Sharma along with Prakash alias Sanjay had taken them to Rohini where they offered them drinks mixed with sedatives and Prakash sexually assaulted them. On August 8, the girls managed to run away while Prakash tried to take them to Chandigarh to sell them. They fled from there and reached Karol Bagh by auto. The girls were rescued by the police the same day.”
Police also confirmed that both women suspects were also present when the girls were being raped by Prakash who has fled the scene.
Additional charges were later added under section 328 (for poisoning drinks with sedatives), 366A (for kidnapping a minor girl), 370 (human trafficking; buying and selling), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 376 (for sexual assault/rape),506 (criminal intimidation), 34(syndicate/ common intention) as per IPC. Other pertinent Sections were also added as per the POCSO Act.
The two women suspects have been sent to Judicial custody for 14 days.
Sandeep and Sharma who helped transport the girls are now in police custody.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW)
According to the statement given by DCW, the three minors had met at the New Delhi Railway Station as they planned on leaving for Mumbai. There, they met a stranger who offered to buy them tickets and later escorted them to his place at Rohini. However, the police have not yet confirmed this statement.
“There were two women also in the house who gave the girls drinks laced with intoxicants. After that, the accused man raped all three of the minor girls,” the DCW claimed.
