NewDelhi: The autopsy report prepared by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has revealed the severity of injuries sustained by the 22-year-old victim in the Kailash Hills rape and murder case, painting a grim picture of the assault she endured before her death. Examination of the neck revealed a fractured thyroid cartilage along with intramuscular haemorrhage in the sternocleidomastoid, sternothyroid and sternohyoid muscles. All internal organs were found congested, consistent with asphyxial death caused by strangulation.
According to a PTI report, Dr Sudhir Gupta, Head of the Forensic Department at AIIMS-Delhi, confirmed that the victim suffered multiple injuries across her arms, hands, legs and face, including a broken nose.
Bruising and abrasions on the victim’s arms indicated that she had attempted to resist her attacker. “The report revealed abrasions and bruises on the victim’s arms, indicating she tried to fight the attacker,” Dr Gupta said as per reports. Samples including viscera, ligature material, nail scrapings and swabs from private parts have been preserved for further forensic examination. “The findings show death due to strangulation following assault. The preserved swabs and nail scrapings have been sent for further analysis to ascertain whether rape took place,” he added.
The victim was subsequently taken to Fortis Escorts Hospital, where she was declared dead.
Background to the crime
The accused, 23-year-old Rahul Meena, was a former domestic worker at the family’s residence who had been removed from service approximately two months before the incident. The victim was an IIT graduate preparing for the UPSC civil services examination.
Meena entered the fourth-floor apartment at 6:39 am on Wednesday, exploiting his knowledge of the household’s routine. The victim’s parents, an IRS officer and a dentist had left for the gym earlier that morning. The family kept a spare key outside the flat for domestic staff, a practice Meena was well aware of. CCTV footage placed him in the surrounding area from 6:30 am. He left at 7:15 am, having spent approximately 40 minutes inside.
Sequence of events
According to police, the victim was in her room studying when Meena confronted her and demanded cash. When she refused and attempted to contact her father, Meena attacked her. A police officer stated that he “pressed her throat, then used a charger wire to strangle her, and then attacked her with a water bottle and a lamp on her head.”
After she lost consciousness, Meena raped her. He then dragged her body to another part of the flat in an attempt to access a fingerprint-protected locker. When repeated attempts to use the victim’s fingers to unlock it failed, he forced it open using a heavy object. He fled the premises with approximately Rs 2 lakh in cash and Rs 10 lakh worth of jewellery packed into a black backpack, having changed out of his blood-stained clothing before leaving.
Arrest and statement
Meena was arrested from a hotel in Dwarka at approximately 8 pm on the same day. When produced before the Saket court, he told the magistrate: “Galti hogayi. Maine paise ke liye kiya. Fingerprint chahiye tha locker kholne ke liye” I made a mistake. I did it for money. I needed the fingerprint to open the locker.
Investigation further revealed that hours before the attack in Delhi, Meena had allegedly raped a woman in Alwar, Rajasthan, after which he concealed himself on a hill known as Kali Pahari for over two hours before travelling to the capital.
Bureau Report
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