Woman hit and drag case: Accused's identity proved through CCTV footage, states chargesheet

Image used for representational purpose. Pic/iStock

The identity of four accused in the hit-and-run case where a 20-year-old woman was dragged to death while trapped under a car here on new year's day was established based on CCTV footage, statements of witnesses and other scientific evidence, the Delhi Police said in its charge sheet.

According to the final report, the evidence proved the presence of the four accused -- Amit Khanna, Krishan, Manoj Mittal and Mithun -- in the car. The charge sheet cited the statements of six eyewitnesses, including the victim's friend, the person who informed police about the body, an autorickshaw driver, and a person who was in the car with the four accused but was dropped at Sultanpuri before the incident.

It said the CCTV footage revealed crucial evidence, such as the presence of all the accused at a dhaba before the incident and in Rohini Sector 1 after.
"It has also been revealed by the footage that the accused knew that the victim was entangled... The accused didn't try to save the life of the woman. After getting back in the car, they intentionally dragged her for a long distance to kill her," the charge sheet claimed.

It stated that the DNA profile generated from the strands of hairs recovered from the car matched with the profile generated from the blood samples of Khanna, Mittal and Krishan.

Also, the DNA profile generated from the blood spots present on the clothes of the accused matched with that generated from the blood sample of the victim, the charge sheet stated.

DNA profiles generated from the exhibits recovered from the spot along with those lifted from the car, the cloth of the victim and from the clothes of Manoj Mittal, Mithun and Krishan were found similar to the DNA profile generated from the blood on gauze, the charge sheet said.

"A forensic science laboratory team lifted the blood in gauze from the offending car and the spot where the body of the deceased was found. DNA profile thus prepared matched with the DNA profile prepared from the blood in gauze preserved during the post-mortem of the deceased," the charge sheet said.

The report said that the owner of the vehicle, Ashutosh Bhardwaj, voluntarily permitted his car to be driven by Amit Khanna, who did not have a valid driving licence. Also, Khanna's blood test revealed the presence of alcohol above the permissible limit, it said.

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"During the interrogation, Ashutosh disclosed that when he came to know about the incident and that the person driving the car did not possess a valid driving licence, he, Ankush and other accused planned to plant another person possessing a valid driving licence as the driver of the offending car at the time of the incident," the charge sheet said.

"Ashutosh helped in the disappearance of the evidence of offence and gave false information to shield the accused," it said.

Police arrested Deepak Khanna (26), Amit Khanna (25), Krishan (27), Mithun (26), and Manoj Mittal in the case on January 2. Co-accused Ashutosh Bhardwaj and Ankush, were earlier given bail by the court, while the bail plea of Deepak Khanna was rejected by a sessions court.

Amit Khanna, Krishan, Mithun and Manoj Mittal have been accused of murder, while Amit Khanna and Ashutosh were booked under the Motor Vehicles Act.
It said all the accused were booked for the offences of criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, harbouring offender, common intention and false information with an intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person.

Delhi Police has levelled additional charges against Amit Khanna for the offences of rash driving and causing hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others.

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