Man poses as cop, rapes college girl

The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Thursday claimed to have solved a blind rape case in Rohini area a few days ago and has arrested the alleged perpetrator.

The case involved a college girl who was threatened and sexually assaulted by an imposter posing as a police officer, officials said.

The accused, identified as Ravi Solanki (33), is a resident of Delhi’s Pooth Kalan area.

Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police Crime Branch said that, on July 7, the victim lodged a complaint with the local police station, narrating the harrowing incident. According to her statement, she had been dropped off near her gated society by a friend after visiting a local café.

As she reached the staircase of her building, an unknown person approached her from behind, displaying an identity card that resembled a Delhi Police official’s credentials. Fearing for her safety, the victim complied with the imposter’s demands.

Later, the Crime Branch took charge of the investigation. Utilising advanced techniques, the team meticulously analysed footage from over 250 CCTV cameras from the Rohini area to trace the accused’s route. It was observed that the suspect had entered the victim’s gated society around 9:00 p.m. and exited approximately 30 minutes later. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the accused was riding a Hero HF Deluxe motorcycle, Yadav mentioned.

The exhaustive investigation involved verifying the details of more than 40 individuals matching the suspect’s physical appearance. Additionally, information on over 1,000 motorcycles matching the description near the Rithala Metro Station was collected and examined. Later, the investigative team managed to develop a clearer image of the suspect, the official said. Based on the reconstructed image and inputs from their sources, the Crime Branch teams led by Inspectors Sandeep Swami and Sandeep Tushir, along with their personnel, initiated an operation to apprehend the accused.

Following a meticulously laid trap, Ravi Solanki was apprehended near Baaz Mall, Sector-24, Rohini, Delhi, Yadav confirmed. During interrogation, Ravi Solanki confessed to his involvement in the sexual assault case. He revealed that he had stalked the victim and her companion, taking photographs while they were inside their car.

Exploiting the reticence of girls to share details about their male friends, Solanki meticulously planned to catch the victim off-guard in a secluded location. To deceive his victims, he would use a plastic card bearing a Delhi Police monogram, passing it off as a police identity card, Yadav mentioned.

Further investigation into the accused’s background revealed his previous involvement in five cases related to theft, assault, and excise violations, the official added.