By IANS,
New Delhi: A rickshaw-puller was arrested in north Delhi Monday for beating up and raping the 77-year-old wife of a retired government official last week, police said.
Bhola Adivasi, 22, hailing from Panna in Madhya Pradesh, was arrested Sunday night.
The victim, a resident of Rohini, had gone to her sister’s house in the same locality Friday afternoon and was returning home in the accused’s cycle rickshaw when the incident took place.
The accused was identified after police detained around 500 rickshaw-pullers in Prashant Vihar, north Rohini, K.N. Katju Marg and Samaipur Badli areas for interrogation in the wake of the rape that was reported Saturday.
“We arrested him from sector 15 in Rohini around 8 p.m. Sunday. Bhola did not come to the police station and get photographed after we had rounded up around 500 rickshaw pullers in the area for interrogation. This pointed the needle of suspicion towards him. Later, he confessed to the crime,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Meenu Choudhury.
According to police, Bhola, while ferrying the victim to her home in Rohini, took her to an isolated spot near the Japanese Park. The victim panicked and asked Bhola to take her to her home immediately.
According to the victim’s family, the rickshaw-puller deliberately overturned the rickshaw and picked up an argument with the victim.
He made her smell some chemical due to which she became semi-conscious and raped her, police said. Bhola used a handkerchief dipped in some chemicals to make the victim unconscious.
“After she gained slight consciousness and pleaded with him to let her go, he beat her up and thinking that she is dead, fled from the spot,” said Choudhury.
Police have recovered from the accused Rs.35 which the victim was carrying in her handkerchief.
“A flap of his shoe, recovered from the crime spot, matched with his shoe,” said Choudhary, talking about the evidence that helped them link Bhola to the crime.
“The victim is still in hospital and her condition is stated to be stable,” the DCP added.
The rape occurred at a stone’s throw away from K.N. Katju Marg police station. The victim was found bruised and lying on the roadside early Saturday morning by a passer-by.
Bhola came to Delhi in 2006. Before plying a rickshaw, he worked as a mason.