Saket Court Frames Rape, Murder Charges in Kailash Hills Case
Additional Sessions Judge Ankit Singla of Saket Court has framed charges of rape, murder, and robbery against Rahul Meena for the April 22 killing of a 22-year-old woman at her residence in south Delhi's Kailash Hills.
The framing of charges paves the way for the trial to commence in the case involving the victim, an engineering graduate and UPSC aspirant who was the daughter of a senior Indian Revenue Service officer. The court set September 9 as the date for prosecution evidence, while a detailed order on the matter remains awaited.
According to the prosecution, Meena was a former domestic worker employed by the victim's family. Familiar with their daily schedule, he allegedly knew the woman would be alone in the house during her parents' morning routine. Investigators alleged that he gained entry to the Kailash Hills residence using a hidden key and remained inside for approximately 40 minutes.
The prosecution alleged that Meena assaulted, raped, and strangled the woman before fleeing the premises with cash, jewellery, and mobile phones. The victim's parents discovered her unconscious upon returning home and took her to a hospital, where she was declared dead. Police alleged she was strangled with a mobile phone charging cable.
Following the incident, Delhi Police registered a First Information Report at the Amar Colony police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to rape, murder, and robbery. The investigation concluded with police filing a 493-page chargesheet against Meena.
Meena was arrested on the day of the incident from a hotel in Dwarka after a police manhunt. During his initial appearance before a magistrate, he stated that he had made a mistake and committed the crime for money. A magistrate subsequently remanded him to police custody for interrogation to establish the facts and recover two mobile phones taken during the crime.
Police said Meena fled toward Palam railway station after leaving the residence and discarded the two stolen mobile phones. Investigators also sought gait-pattern analysis to corroborate CCTV footage showing his movements around the scene of the crime. Additionally, police noted that Meena had been involved in a separate sexual assault case in Alwar, Rajasthan, shortly before the Kailash Hills incident.
