E-rickshaw driver arrested for raping minor in Delhi

NEW DELHI: A 17-year-old girl, who was travelling in an e-rickshaw from ISBT Kashmiri Gate to her home in Wazirabad, was sexually assaulted by the driver, who even bit her cheeks during the act.

The accused, identified as Mohd. Istikhar (27), a native of Samastipur in Bihar, was arrested.

DCP (North) MK Meena said that Bara Hindu Rao Hospital informed the Civil Lines police station about the sexual assault of a minor girl on the nights of June 12 and 13, following which a police team reached the hospital and recorded the statement of the victim.

The minor told police that she had boarded an e-rickshaw near ISBT, Kashmere Gate as she wanted to go to Wazirabad. However, the alleged driver, Istikhar, took her to the forest area near Jal Board Awaas area, Bara Hindu Rao and sexually abused her and even bit her cheeks.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the underage girl resisted when the accused attempted to sexually abuse her and hit him on the forehead with a brick.

Accordingly, based on the girl’s statement, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act and launched a massive manhunt to nab the culprit.” Since the e-rickshaw did not have a number plate, tracking it down was a herculean task.

The incident took place at around 2.30 am at night, which made it difficult to identify the e-rickshaw or the accused in the CCTV footage,” the DCP said. Police scanned more than 150 CCTV cameras at various locations such as New Delhi Railway Station, Chandni Chowk and Civil Lines and a trail was created from Civil Lines to Mori Gate as the suspect was seen up to the Mori Gate area and disappeared thereafter.

However, the police continued their search and eventually tracked down the e-rickshaw and ultimately the accused driver. It is important to mention here that the fresh injury on his forehead confirmed the identity of the accused, following which he was arrested. The accused admitted that the injury on his forehead and eyes occurred when the girl resisted and hit him on the head with a brick.

On May 26, a similar incident was reported from the city: a 25-year-old woman was on her way home to Punjab and was scheduled to catch a scheduled train. She was allegedly drugged and then raped by a rickshaw driver she had hired to take her from Sadar Bazar to New Delhi Railway Station.

The woman was also accompanied by her three-year-old son and was sexually abused by the accused rickshaw driver in front of his eyes in a remote location.