Public anger over recent declarations by a serial rapist-murderer came to the fore on Saturday as a man suspected of raping a 12-year-old girl in Outer Delhi was tied to a tree and thrashed by a mob.
Sources said the mob also doused the suspect, 21-year-old Karnail Singh, with inflammable material before a police team rescued him.
Speaking to The Hindu , DCP (Outer) Vikramjit Singh acknowledged the suspect was bound and thrashed, but said his injuries were not serious.
However, Mr. Vikramjit Singh refuted claims that the mob tried to set the accused ablaze.
The incident took place around 10.30 a.m. on Saturday. The victim, a Class VI student at a local school, had stayed home on Saturday due to poor health.
Her parents had left for work and her grandmother was out of the house when Karnail, who lived in the neighbourhood, allegedly sneaked inside and tried to sexually assault the girl.
“The girl’s screams drew the attention of her grandmother, who rushed to her aid. However, the suspect managed to escape and fled into the nearby agricultural fields,” said a senior police officer.
A police team took the girl for medical examination, even as the locals launched a search for the suspect.
The accused underwent a medico-legal case, which showed no serious injuries, said the DCP. Karnail has been booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and rape.
Mr. Vikramjit Singh said though the mob mostly comprised people from the same neighbourhood in which the suspect lived, the beating was not motivated due to personal enmity.
