Rahul Meena, a teenager accused of raping and strangling a senior IRS officer’s daughter in Delhi on Wednesday morning, used his knowledge of the family’s routine, and what is usually kept where in the house, to execute the crime.
Meena raped a friend’s wife in Alwar on Tuesday night, sold a mobile phone for Rs 10,000 and hired a cab to Delhi for Rs 6,000. He then walked to his former employer, a senior IRS officer’s house, in South Delhi.
This was just the beginning of what Meena had set on to do.
Strangled, Attacked, Raped
Meena was familiar with the family’s daily routine. He knew the woman’s parents would be out for their daily gym session, leaving their daughter home alone.
The 19-year-old, who had worked at the house as domestic help for around eight months before being fired, also knew that the house key was kept in a shoe rack for other staff to access the premises while the family was away.
As seen in CCTV footage, he entered the colony at around 6:30 am and went straight to the woman’s study room, a separate one-room structure built on the terrace.
The victim, a 22-year-old IIT graduate, was preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam when Meena stepped into her room. When she questioned his presence, Meena claimed: “Aunty ne bulaya tha kaam se (Aunty called me for some work).”
Meena then demanded money. Her refusal led to a heated argument between the two, which soon turned violent. The woman was struck with a lamp, resulting in injuries across her face and body, and she was strangled with a mobile charging cable.
The accused then raped the 22-year-old woman while she was unconscious.
Breaking A Locker
Meena, known for borrowing money from domestic staff in the neighbourhood to feed his online gaming addiction, had planned to rob the house. However, the locker in the house could only be opened using a thumb impression.
He then dragged the woman out of the study room, pulled her down the stairs, and into the room where the locker was kept. He pressed the woman’s blood-stained finger against a biometric scanner, but it did not open.
According to the police sources, the woman had probably died by then, which may be why the biometric scanner did not recognise her thumb impression.
Meena abandoned the woman’s body and proceeded to open the locker using a screwdriver. He took out cash and jewellery and packed them in a bag kept nearby.
Before fleeing the house, Meena was careful to remove his blood-stained clothes and change into the woman’s brother’s trousers. He replaced his shoes with a pair of slippers lying around and fled.
While walking towards the Palam railway station, the accused pretended to be on a call to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Meena was arrested from a hotel in Delhi’s Dwarka area, where he had been hiding. He is being charged with rape, murder and robbery, police said.
Online Game Addiction
The initial investigation has revealed that Meena was addicted to the online game “Teen Patti” through which he lost and earned money. He would use the money to solicit women to fulfill his sexual desires.
He was also into gambling and would often borrow money from peers.
“He would borrow money from other servants in the vicinity, or from domestic staff working in nearby households, without ever repaying them. This is why he was fired,” Joint Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said.
Motive: Rape Or Robbery?
According to police sources, during the initial interrogation, Meena claimed that his sole motive was robbery. To avoid suspicion and prevent being traced, he sold three mobile phones – own and those belonging to his family members – before coming to Delhi. A part of the money was used for online betting.
He had also stolen a phone from Alwar victim’s house. The plan was to carry out a robbery in Delhi and bring the money back home to Alwar.
The investigating officers, however, believe that it is possible Meena had come with the intention to rape, considering he had raped another woman less than 24 hours ago.
“Since he had been dismissed from a job here in Delhi, a sense of grudge could also be a contributing factor,” Kumar added.
What We Know About Victim
The victim had completed her schooling at DPS RK Puram and had been an All-India topper in her class 12 examinations. She graduated from IIT Delhi and was preparing for the UPSC examination.
She was also a dancer and had won awards in several dance competitions.
It is reported that on Tuesday, the victim’s parents had advised her to start her day early and prepare for the competitive exam in the morning. Wednesday – when the horrendous incident happened – was the first day of her new routine.