Anjali and her friend were returning from the New Year party
New Delhi:
Anjali Singh of Delhi, whose death after being towed 13 kilometers by a car sparked massive outrage, was not alone, sources said, when her scooter was involved in an accident.
In a new twist to the capital’s shock, which occurred in the early hours of the new year, investigators found that 20-year-old Anjali was with her friend, Nidhi, when her motorbike was hit by a Maruti Baleno. The sources said that the friend was slightly injured in the accident and fled the scene. Investigators said Anjali’s leg got caught in the axle of the car and was dragged along with the car.
Police sources said they had tracked down the woman and would record her statement as part of the investigation.
The new findings came to the fore as police were preparing a roadmap to gain more clarity on what happened that night.
They found the two friends had left a hotel at 1.45am after attending a New Year’s Eve party. CCTV footage shows the two women exiting the hotel, not far from the scene of the accident. They are seen getting on their two-wheeler and driving away. Here, it is Nidhi who operates the scooter and Anjali rides the bilion. Anjali later learns that she wants to ride a scooter and the two exchange places.
The accident occurred in Sultanpuri district, west Delhi. The five men in the car admitted they were drunk at the time of the accident. Panicked, they drove away, unaware that Anjali had been towed away, as the accused had told the police.
Deepak Khanna, who was driving, told police that when they drove away, he felt “something stuck”, but was pushed away by others.
The car was alleged to have traveled about 13 kilometers dragging the 20-year-old woman through the streets. While the car was taking a U-turn at Kangawala, one of the accused Mithun spotted a hand under the car. As soon as the car stopped, the corpse came out. The accused then fled the scene, they told the police.
Many CCTV cameras in the streets filmed the Night Terror. One video, now viral, shows the car turning in reverse with the woman’s body attached to it.
An eyewitness said he screamed when he saw the body being dragged away, but the car did not stop. He then reported to the police and chased after the car on his two-wheeler. The police eventually arrived when the body was exhumed and the accused fled the scene.
All five suspects have been arrested and the woman’s autopsy report is still pending. They were charged with murder not amounting to murder, reckless driving and causing death by negligence.
While the woman’s family alleged she had been sexually assaulted, the police said they found no evidence of this.
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