New Delhi:
Anjali Singh from Delhi, whose death after being dragged 13km by a car has sparked massive outrage, was not alone when her scooter crashed, sources said.
In a new twist on the capital city shocker that took place in the early hours of this New Year, investigators have discovered that 20-year-old Anjali was with a friend when a car belonging to Maruti Baleno hit her scooter. The friend was slightly injured in the accident, according to sources, and fled the scene.
Anjali’s leg, investigators said, got caught in the axle of the car and she was dragged with the vehicle.
Police sources said they had tracked down the woman and were recording her statement as part of the investigation.
The new findings came as police prepared a route map to get more clarity on what happened that night.
The investigation into the incident, which has once again raised questions about the safety of women in Delhi, is throwing new twists every day.
The investigation has so far revealed that the accident happened at Sultanpuri in West Delhi. The five men in the car have admitted they were drunk at the time of the accident. They drove away in a panic, unaware that Anjali was being dragged along, the suspects told police.
Deepak Khanna, who was behind the wheel, told police that as he drove away he felt “something was stuck,” but others released him.
The car is said to have traveled about 13 km and dragged the 20-year-old woman through the streets. While the car was making a U-turn at Kanjhawala, one of the defendants, Mithun, discovered a hand under the vehicle. When the car was stopped, the body became detached. The suspects then fled the scene, police said.
Footage from multiple surveillance cameras on the streets captured the night’s horror. One of the videos, which is now going viral, shows the car making a U-turn with the woman’s body clinging to it.
An eyewitness said he screamed loudly when he saw the body being dragged, but the car didn’t stop. He then informed the police and pursued the vehicle on his two-wheeler. Police finally reached when the body had become detached and the suspect had fled the scene.
All five suspects have been arrested and the woman’s autopsy report is awaited. They are charged with involuntary manslaughter without murder, willful driving and involuntary manslaughter.
While the woman’s family alleges she was sexually assaulted, police say they have found no evidence.