As Delhi rose in anger, how cops nailed convicts
gang rape of a paramedical student on a moving bus by five men and a juvenile in Delhi on December 16, 2012 outraged Indians who later protested on streets for days to demand justice for her. While the braveheart battled for her life in south Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, the police could not afford to waste any time in nabbing the accused.
On December 17, an FIR was registered at Vasant Vihar police station on the basis of the statement of the victim’s friend, who was with her on the evening of December 16. The crime team lifted the exhibits from the spot near Mahipalpur flyover, where the victims were found brutally injured. After frantic search operation, the police found the chartered bus parked near Ravi Dass Camp in RK Puram later that day. Key accused Ram Singh, who allegedly killed himself later in Tihar Jail, was found sitting in it. Singh was interrogated and arrested. The police also recovered Singh bloodstained clothes and the iron rods that were used to assault the victims.
Vinay Sharma and Pawan alias Kalu were caught on December 18. The police recovered Sharma’s bloodstained clothes and found the mobile phone of the victim with him. Pawan was found in his jhuggi.
Same day, accused Mukesh was apprehended from his native village Karoli in Rajasthan and the mobile phone of the victim’s friends was recovered from him.
On December 21, the juvenile accused was apprehended from ISBT. That day, accused Akshay was also arrested from Aurangabad in Bihar. Victim’s statement was recorded on December 21 and 25. On December 26, the gangrape victim was airlifted to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital after her condition deteriorated. On December 29, the woman died.