New Delhi: The Kanjhawala case of dragging of a woman's body under the car in outer Delhi on the morning of January 1 has shaken the country to the core as horrific details keep on emerging about how the victim's body was dragged for as many as 12 kilometres under the car by the accused.
One of the five accused in the case has been identified as Manoj Mittal, 27, a BJP functionary in Delhi's Mongolpuri area. Manoj's picture was seen splashed on a party banner recently wherein he was being congratulated for becoming a "co-convenor" in Ward 42 of Delhi's Mongolpuri. Posters of Mittal have been pasted in several places in the Sultanpuri area, including outside the Sultanpuri Police Station.
Apart from him, the four other accused in the case include Deepak Khanna (26), Amit Khanna (25), Krishan (27), and Mithun (26). Meanwhile, police on Monday said the woman was dragged for 12 km from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala and a medical board has been constituted to conduct the post-mortem.
Here are the 10 latest points in this big story:
- The AAP on Monday attacked BJP alleging that one of the accused in the Kanjhawala car accident case - Manoj Mittal - is linked to it and also picketed the Delhi Lieutenant Governor for being "negligent" in the matter. On the other hand, several other AAP leaders and workers gathered outside Saxena's residence at Civil Lines and demanded his resignation.
- The new CCTV footage shows the Maruti Baleno car making a U-turn on a road in Kanjhawala in North West Delhi with what seems to be someone stuck under the car. The timestamp on the CCTV footage reads 3:34 am and corroborates the eyewitness account of one Deepak Dahiya, who runs a confectionery shop nearby.
- Dahiya had told news agency ANI that he saw the car taking a U-turn after hitting the scooty. The footage shows the car returning to the spot where the body was found. "It was 3:20 am...I was standing outside the shop when I heard a loud noise from a vehicle about 100 meters away. Earlier I thought it was a tire burst. As soon as the car moved, I saw a body being dragged. I informed the police immediately," Dahiya said. He added that the accused repeatedly drove on the same road and took multiple U-turns while dragging the body along.
- Delhi's Rohini Court on Monday granted three days of police remand to interrogate five accused. The accused were produced in a closed courtroom amid tight security. Meanwhile, the family of the deceased girl is questioning the working style of Delhi police in this case. The family members are also expressing apprehension of sexual assault with the victim and are pleading for fair investigation and justice.
- The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, as per sources, has not found the blood sample of the girl during the investigation of the Baleno vehicle. The girl's hair was also not found inside the car. The FSL team found traces of blood near the tires under the car.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah has sought a detailed report from the Delhi Police Commissioner in the matter. Special Commissioner of Delhi Police Shalini Singh has been asked to submit a report in this regard.
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the incident "shameful" and called for severe punishment to the culprits. "What happened to our sister in Kanjhawala is very shameful. I hope that the culprits will be punished severely," he tweeted in Hindi. In another tweet, he said he has requested the Lieutenant Governor to take "exemplary action" and show no leniency, even if the accused have political connections.
- Addressing a press conference, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda Monday 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.
- A video purportedly showing the woman's body without clothes and broken legs has surfaced on social media. The footage has led to claims that the victim was raped and killed but police said it was an accident. According to the victim's mother, there was no skin, arms, and legs left on the victim's body. "I appeal for justice for my daughter," she said.
