From Homes To Parks: 13 Rape And Assault Cases Reported In Delhi-NCR In September

Delhi and the wider National Capital Region (NCR) have reported at least 13 alleged rape and sexual assault cases since the beginning of September, according to The Print, raising concerns over the safety of women and children in the capital and neighbouring cities.

The latest case involved a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly threatened and raped by three men posing as policemen at Aastha Kunj Park, behind southeast Delhi’s Kalkaji Temple.

Police said on Tuesday that the alleged assault took place in the wooded section of the park. As reported, the Kalkaji case followed 12 earlier reports of rape and sexual assault from Delhi and neighbouring NCR districts in September.

The cases have been reported from homes, neighbourhoods, shops, hotels and other public places, with several involving children and teenagers. In some cases, the accused were relatives or neighbours, while in others they were strangers. In the Kalkaji case, the accused allegedly posed as police officers.

Early September Cases

On 2 September in Gurugram, police arrested a 61-year-old man accused of raping a five-year-old girl at his house in Sector 28 after her parents had sent her for Urdu lessons. Police said she was bleeding when she got back home.

That same day in Ghaziabad, two girls aged 14 and 15 were allegedly gang-raped in Loni’s Tronica City after being taken to a vacant house. Two suspects were later caught after an encounter with the police. On 3 September in Ghaziabad, police arrested two men accused of gang-raping a minor girl after luring her to a hotel on the promise of helping her find work.

Another Delhi case followed on 6 September. A young woman said she had been drugged and raped, and she went to police after a video linked to the incident surfaced online.

Midmonth Cases

On 10 September in west Delhi’s Ranhola, a four-year-old girl told her mother that a school-cab driver had sexually abused her. Police filed a POCSO case and began looking for the driver. The same day in Nihal Vihar, a seven-year-old boy was allegedly sexually abused by a neighbour. Police arrested the accused and booked him under POCSO.

North Delhi and Narela saw more cases on 10 September. In Swaroop Nagar, a 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 33-year-old relative, who was then arrested, police said. In Narela, a 13-year-old Class 8 student was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a minor boy, while two friends were said to have filmed the assault and threatened her with consequences if she spoke out.

The Swaroop Nagar cases did not stop there. On 12 September, four youths, including three minors, were accused of gang-raping and murdering a 16-year-old girl after she went to meet a 17-year-old acquaintance. Police said she was stabbed repeatedly and her body was left in a field.

Two days later, also in Swaroop Nagar, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly taken from her bed while asleep and raped by a 40-year-old neighbour and distant relative, who was arrested.

On 16 September in Sadar Bazar, a 10 year old girl was allegedly lured into a tailoring shop, where her hands and legs were tied, and sexually assaulted. Police arrested the 56-year-old tailor.

Another case came on 15 September in Raj Nagar Extension, Ghaziabad. A young woman was found wandering through a housing society in torn clothes and asking residents for clothing, prompting suspicions of gang rape, although police had not established that a rape had occurred.

Patterns And Data

The reports cover a range of settings. They include homes, neighbourhoods, hotels, a tailoring shop and open spaces. Several involved children and teenagers. In some cases, the accused were known to the survivors. In others, police said the alleged attackers used deception, including offers of help, luring victims to another location or posing as policemen, reported The Print.

One case stands out for the killing that followed. In the 12 September Swaroop Nagar case, police said the 16 year old girl was stabbed multiple times and her body was dumped in an open field after the sexual assault.

Delhi Police data point to a wider problem. Police figures show that 1,020 cases of sexual offences, including rape and cases registered under the POCSO Act, had been recorded in the capital by 15 September this year. Of these, 653 involved children under POCSO.

The number of incidents involving minors and the range of places where they were reported have again put the safety of women and children in Delhi and nearby NCR cities under scrutiny.