17-year-old Allegedly Gang-Raped by Three Men Posing as Cops

Synopsis

On September 21, 2026, a 17-year-old girl visited Kalkaji Mandir with her 17-year-old male friend at around 7 p.m. after which they went to the Asha Kunj Park. Three men, claiming to be policemen, approached the teenagers, separated the girl from her friend and sexually assaulted her.

What Actually Happened

According to a statement by the girl, the two friends went to the Asha Kunj Park after offering their prayers at Kalkaji Mandir at around 7:30 p.m. Three men, aged around 25-30 years, claimed to be policemen and threatened the teenagers before separating the girl.

According to the police, one of the accused, identified as Asif, allegedly threatened the girl with a knife and a firearm before sexually assaulting her, and two other men also allegedly assaulted her. The accused then fled from the scene after threatening the teenagers.

How did the Crime Come into Light?

The police received a Police Control Room (PCR) call at around 8:45 p.m. about the alleged sexual assault. A team from Amar Colony Police Station reached the park, where they found the girl with her friend. The police started investigating the area while the girl was sent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for medical examination.

The police identified the accused with the help of the CCTV camera and collected information about the alleged crime and key witnesses to move the investigation forward.

Who are the Accused?

The three accused have been identified as Asif, Hemant and Mukesh. Asif is an onion wholesaler at Srinivaspuri market and a resident of Tughlakabad road; Hemant claims to be a practicing advocate at the Saket court, currently preparing for competitive examinations and his brother Mukesh is a B.Sc. student from Haryana.

Asif was found near the Amar Colony area where police tried to intercept him near DM Office Road when he allegedly opened fire. Asif fired three rounds and a bullet hit the bulletproof jacket of Head Constable Rajesh. Police fired in self defense when one of the bullets struck Asif in the right leg and was taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment.

Preliminary questioning revealed that the three accused had known each other for two to three years, as they used to go to parks, play cricket and had a history of harassing and teasing girls. Asif was arrested, following which Hemant and Mukesh have also been arrested on September 22, 2026.

Legal Action followed

Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Amar Colony Police Station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

The FIR includes Sections 70(2), 61(2), 115(2) and 351(3) of the BNS, along with Sections 6 and 17 of the POCSO Act.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has taken suo moto cognizance of the case, seeking a detailed report from the police. Delhi Lieutenant-Governor T.S. Sandhu interacted with officers at police headquarters stressing that women’s safety was non-negotiable and directed the city police to establish women-centric ‘Pink force’ with trained women personnel deployed around schools, metro stations and other areas for rapid action.

Not an Isolated Incident

This is one of the many cases of sexual assault seen recently in the national territory of India. On 10 September, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Swaroop Nagar. On 16 September, a 10-year-old girl was sexually assaulted inside a tailoring shop in Sadar Bazaar, On September 21 itself, a 6-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted in Kishan Ganj.

All these cases raise serious questions about the safety of women and the frameworks currently in existence to ensure women safety. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data of 2024, India recorded 29,536 rape cases.

With such high numbers, can we still guarantee women the basic requirement of safety and how long will it take for us to make our country livable and safe for women of our country.