19yearold kidnapped, tortured, raped for 10 days

BRUTAL Police launch a manhunt for accused Kuldeep, say man’s family knew that the girl had been confined in a room but did not rescue her or inform them

NEW DELHI: A 19-year-old woman was kidnapped, confined in a house and sexually assaulted for 10 days allegedly by a 30-year-old man in outer Delhi’s Aman Vihar, police said on Saturday.

The woman, who had suffered multiple injuries, was given medical attention at a government hospital and is now being counselled by members of an NGO, police said.

The suspect, identified by his single name Kuldeep, is absconding since an FIR was registered against him at the Aman Vihar police station on April 9.

The woman had managed to flee from his confinement on the same day. She has alleged that Kuldeep had been stalking her for few months.

The FIR was registered under sections 345D (stalking) 365 (Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 344 (Wrongful confinement for ten or more days), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code, said police.

Police are questioning Kuldeep’s family members to know his whereabouts. They also sought to know why the family members did not inform the police when their son had illegally kept the woman and tortured her for several days in the house.

Police said the victim knew Kuldeep for more than a year. She initially lived with her family in the same locality in Delhi’s Sultanpuri, where the suspect live with his family. Two teams have been formed to track down the suspect’s hideouts and nab him.

MN Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (outer), said the woman is a school drop out and she had shifted to their new home in Aman Vihar around a month ago. Her father works in a private company while the mother is a housewife. The woman in her complaint told police that she had come in contact with her neighbour and they became friends a year ago.

On March 30, Tiwari said, the woman went out with the man

His family members knew everything but they kept mum. We spoke to neighbours but they were not aware of the matter. Nobody knew that Kuldeep had illegally kept the woman in his home.

MN TIWARI, Deputy commissioner of police (outer)

and was with him till 11.30pm. “The man later took her to his home and confined her in a room on the first floor. He made physical relationship with her repeatedly and forcefully,” said DCP Tiwari, quoting the woman’s complaint.

“It is surprising that the woman’s family had not filed her missing or kidnapping complaint even as she was missing for 10 days. We are looking into this angle as well,” said Tiwari.

A police officer said the woman has alleged in her complaint that Kuldeep used to tie her with ropes and gag her with a cloth so that she could not raise alarm or scream for help.

He allegedly locked the room from outside to prevent her from fleeing.

“His family members knew everything but they kept mum. We spoke to neighbours but they were not aware of the matter. Nobody knew that Kuldeep had illegally kept the woman in his home,” the officer said.

On April 9, the woman fled Kuldeep’s home and reached her parents’ home.

Her father accompanied to the police station where she filed a case against the accused, the officer said.