Passenger drugged and assaulted

NEW DELHI: A rickshaw driver was arrested by the Delhi Police for sexually assaulting a passenger after making her unconscious near North Delhi’s Geeta Colony Flyover on Sunday. The police were alerted about the incident through a PCR call at the Kotwali Police Station.

The arrested accused was identified as Umer alias Ghochu (24), resident of Kale Khan Takiya, Minto Road, Delhi.

According to the Police, the case came to light on Sunday, when a PCR call regarding a robbery was received at Kotwali Police Station. Police arrived at the Geeta Colony Flyover Loop to find a severely injured woman and her three-year-old son. Subsequently, the woman was transported to the nearest hospital for medical examination. In her statement to the investigating officer, she detailed the harrowing events.

She had arrived in Delhi with her child, intending to travel to Punjab. After shopping in Sadar Bazar, she hired a battery rickshaw to New Delhi Railway Station.

The rickshaw driver offered her a drink, which caused her to lose consciousness. She was then taken to a secluded area, where the driver sexually assaulted her and, when she resisted, the rickshaw driver struck her with a brick. She awoke to find her mobile phone and Rs 3,000 missing. An FIR was promptly registered under sections 376, 308, 328, and 379 of the Indian Penal Code.

A dedicated team of the Delhi Police, under the guidance of ACP Shankar Banerjee, was formed to crack the case.

The team conducted an exhaustive review of CCTV footage from the crime vicinity. Their efforts paid off when they identified a suspect’s battery rickshaw, leading them to interrogate approximately 150 rickshaw owners and drivers.

This exhaustive search culminated in the identification and arrest of Umer, on Wednesday. The victim’s mobile phone and the battery rickshaw

used in the crime were recovered.