Here’s all we know so far about Delhi’s Kanjhawala hit-and-run accident

The horrendous case of a young woman being dragged by five men in a car for several kilometres on January 1 is a terrible start to 2023

Hyderabad: The horrendous case of a young woman being dragged by five men in a car for several kilometres on January 1 is a terrible start to 2023.

The accident took place at around 2 am in Delhi’s Sultanpuri when the 20-year-old Anjali Singh, who worked at an event management company, was returning home from work.

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The woman’s horrific death sparked protests around the country, with people calling for the harshest punishment for the five people in the car who hit the woman’s scooter. Here’s what we know about the case so far:

Drunk driving, body trapped under borrowed car

The Delhi Police arrested five men, who were in the car, a Baleno, at the time of the incident — Deepak Khanna (26), Amit Khanna (25), Krishan (27), Mithun (26) and Manoj Mittal. The vehicle was twice borrowed, to Ashutosh who had loaned it to them. The men also confessed to being drunk.

The woman’s body was tangled in the car’s undercarriage when she fell off her two-wheeler, and the men had driven over 12 km before becoming aware of the situation. Her body was later located on the road in Kanjhawala, Delhi, without clothes and with a broken back and leg.

Deepak, who was reportedly driving the car, told police that he sensed “something was stuck” under the car a few km after hitting the Scooty, but the other four men told him to keep driving.

Of the five, one of them — Manoj Mittal — is affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was a party functionary from Sultanpuri area. Apart from Mittal, Deepak Khanna is a driver in the Gramin Sewa, while Amit Khanna works at State Bank of India. Krishan is employed with the Spanish Culture Centre in Connaught Place and Mithun is a hairdresser.

Removed body and fled

Mithun, who was seated next to Deepak, noticed Anjali’s hand while taking a U-turn, and stopped the car at Kanjhawala’s Jonti village. After her body came off, the men, instead of getting down, drove away abandoning her.

Pillion rider was friend, fled scene of accident

There were two girls on the Scooty on the night of the accident. The pillion rider, Nidhi, sustained minor injuries and had allegedly fled the scene because she was afraid. Police have tracked her down, and her statement is being taken.

Eyewitnesses’ statement

A local confectioner, Deepak Dahiya, said that he saw the incident and reportedly shouted out, asking them to stop. He also said that he called the Police Control Room, but they paid no heed to his complaint. He further added that the accused drove repeatedly on the road of about four-five kilometres by taking U-turns.

Another eyewitness, a delivery boy, reportedly stated that he saw the car taking a U-turn after the driver saw police barricades on the Kanjhawala Road.

Preliminary post-mortem indicates no sexual assault

The preliminary report indicates there were no injury marks on Anjali Singh’s private parts, which indicates there was no sexual assault.

Rekha, the woman’s mother, had previously suspected that Anjali had been sexually abused. “Her clothes cannot be completely torn off. Her entire body was naked when they found her. I want a full investigation and justice,” she had said. Anjali lived with her mother and younger siblings in Aman Vihar in Northwest Delhi. Her father died some years ago and she was the sole bread-winner of the family.

A Delhi court sent all five of the accused to three-day police custody while officers investigate the matter. All five have been named under IPC sections 279 (rash driving) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) over the accident. The police are going to submit their findings in the report by Tuesday evening.