An e-rickshaw ride turned into a nightmare for a 25-year-old woman in the national capital, as she was allegedly drugged, raped, and robbed by the driver, police reported on Thursday.
The 24-year-old suspect, Mohammad Umer, was apprehended in North Delhi’s Kotwali area.
“On May 26, a PCR call was made to the Kotwali police station regarding a robbery. A team of officials was sent to the spot, where they found an injured woman bleeding profusely. Her three-year-old son was sitting beside her,” said DCP (North) Manoj Kumar Meena.
The victim, originally from Bihar, was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to DCP Meena.
She was traveling with her son to Punjab from Bihar to visit her husband, the police stated.
On May 26, she got off a train at the New Delhi railway station and went to Sadar market. While returning in an e-rickshaw, the driver allegedly offered her something to drink, which she consumed, causing her to lose consciousness, added the DCP.
“According to her statement, the e-rickshaw driver allegedly took her to an isolated place and raped her. When she tried to raise an alarm, the accused allegedly hit her on the head with a brick,” Meena said, noting that she then became unconscious.
When she regained consciousness, she discovered her cellphone and Rs 3,000 in cash were missing, police said.
DCP Meena explained that a team of officials investigating the case examined around 150 e-rickshaw owners and reviewed 500 CCTV footage before tracking down and arresting the suspect. The woman’s cellphone and the e-rickshaw used in the crime were recovered from the accused, who had a prior involvement in a robbery case.
An FIR has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (punishment for rape), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence), and 379 (punishment for theft), with further investigation underway, DCP Meena said.