New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested a man and a woman and apprehended three juveniles in connection with an alleged gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl, who was lured by the woman and taken to an isolated place in the Sadar Bazaar area, an official said on Sunday.
The incident occurred on January 1. The accused have been identified as Suresh Kumar, a 38-year-old tea vendor in the Sadar Bazar area of north Delhi and a woman residing in the same locality. Three minors, aged 12, 14, and 15, apprehended also work at the tea stall.
According to police, the victim, a resident of Bawana, is employed as a waste picker. She was acquainted with the accused woman, who previously lived in Bawana and also engaged in waste picking.
On January 1, when the victim was alone in the area, the accused woman approached her.
“She lured the minor to an isolated location where the other four suspects were waiting, subsequently subjecting the girl to sexual assault,” said a senior police official.
The incident came to light on Thursday, when the victim approached police, leading to the immediate registration of a case under section 376D (gang-rape) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
“All five accused were apprehended,” said the official.
The accused woman had allegedly threatened the victim to keep quiet. Following the assault on January 1, the girl managed to clean herself and took a train to Bawana. She reportedly remained silent for the next two days.
“On Thursday, she returned to Sadar Bazar for waste picking and encountered her cousin, a resident of the same locality, whom she confided in,” said the official.
The cousin informed the minor's parents, both of whom are labourers, about the incident. Subsequently, they all went to the police station, where the girl recounted her harrowing experience to the police.
As per sources, accused Kumar had asked the woman to find a girl for a "New Year celebration".
“The accused had constructed a makeshift shelter using plastic tarpaulin inside a secured building in the vicinity for an overnight stay,” said the sources.