Delhi has reported another serious case involving the alleged sexual assault of a minor, this time after three men allegedly posed as police officers and targeted a 17-year-old girl inside Astha Kunj Park in the Kalkaji area.
The incident took place on Monday evening after the teenager visited Kalkaji Temple with her 17-year-old male friend. The two later went to Astha Kunj Park, where the three men allegedly approached them and claimed to be policemen.
According to the police, the men separated the girl from her friend and took her towards an isolated part of the park. The girl later told investigators that she was sexually assaulted and threatened by the accused.
A PCR call was made at around 8.45 pm, following which a police team reached the park and found the girl and her friend.
Accused allegedly pretended to be police officers
Police said the three men used their false identity as policemen to intimidate the teenagers.
Delhi Police Joint Commissioner Vijay Kumar said, “The accused allegedly posed as policemen and tried to take action under that false identity.”
Police are investigating whether the three accused already knew each other.
The incident has also raised questions about security arrangements at Astha Kunj Park. Police said the large park can be accessed from several points, while parts of its boundary wall are broken. Some gates reportedly do not have security guards and certain areas are poorly lit.
One accused arrested after encounter
After receiving information about the suspects, Delhi Police formed several teams to trace them.
Police later located accused Asif in the Amar Colony area. According to officials, Asif opened fire at the police team when officers asked him to surrender.
Three rounds were allegedly fired by Asif. One bullet hit the bulletproof jacket of a head constable. Police then fired in self-defence, with one bullet hitting Asif in the right leg.
He was subsequently arrested and taken for medical treatment.
Police continued efforts to trace the other two accused, identified as Hemant and his younger brother Mukesh, according to the initial police account.
Case registered under POCSO and BNS
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The investigation is continuing, with police and forensic teams examining the park and collecting evidence related to the incident.
Another recent case involving a minor in Delhi
The Kalkaji case comes amid several recent reports of sexual offences involving minors in Delhi.
On September 21, police took a 34-year-old man into custody after a complaint involving the alleged sexual assault of a six-year-old girl in the Deshbandhu Gupta Road area. The accused was brought to a police post by local residents and a case was registered under the POCSO Act and BNS.
A separate case was reported in Central Delhi on September 16, when a minor girl was allegedly sexually assaulted inside a tailor’s shop after she went out to buy stationery. The accused tailor was arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Earlier this month, a teenage girl was allegedly gang-raped and killed in Outer North Delhi. Police arrested four people in connection with that case, including three minors.
The recent cases have put renewed attention on the safety of minors in the national capital and on security arrangements at public places.
