Delhi: Woman dies after being dragged for several kilometres by car

Five apprehended; DCW issues summons

A Grey Baleno was identified by police that dragged the woman in Sultanpuri causing her death. | Photo Credit: ANI

In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old woman died after her scooty was hit by a car, and her naked body was dragged around for about four kilometres in outer Delhi's Sultanpuri on Sunday, January 1, 2023, police said.

Five men travelling in the Maruti Baleno have been apprehended, they added.

Purported video on social media

Meanwhile, a purported video of the woman's body without clothes and broken legs made rounds on social media. Sources could not independently verify the veracity of the video.

The footage also led to claims that the victim was raped and murdered, but the police called it an accident. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has also issued a notice to the police in the matter.

According to the police, an information was received at 3.24 a.m. in Kanjhawala police station (Rohini district) that a body was tied to a car and going in the direction of Qutubgarh area.

The body was sent to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial hospital, Mangolpuri for post-mortem, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) Harendra Kumar Singh said the victim's leg got entangled in one of the wheels of the car and she was dragged for around four kilometres.

“A case under IPC Sections 279 (rash driving) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) has been registered against Deepak Khanna (26), Amit Khanna (25), Krishan (27), Mithun (26) and Manoj Mittal,” he said.

“While Deepak is a driver, Amit deals with SBI cards in Uttam Nagar. Krishan works at Connaught Place, Mithun works as a hair-dresser in Naraina while Mittal works as a food dealer in Sultanpuri,” he said.

Sources said the accused were not aware that the victim was being dragged by their car. When they got to know, they removed the body from the vehicle and fled away in panic.

Driver’s blood sample preserved

Police said the blood sample of the car driver has been preserved to examine whether he was under the influence of alcohol or not.

The victim used to work part-time in marriages and other functions. When the incident happened, she was returning home from one such function, they added. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal said she has issued summons to the Delhi Police in connection with the incident.

"A girl was dragged for several kilometres by a car driven by inebriated men. Her body was found without clothes on the road. This is a very scary incident. I am issuing summons to Delhi Police to appear before the panel. What were the security arrangements on the occasion of New Year," she tweeted.

Meanwhile, the police debunked theories of the incident being a rape case.

"False and frivolous media reports of the incident being a rape-murder case are being circulated,” a police officer said.