New Delhi: Case of sexual assault of elderly lady solved; accused arrested

The Tilak Nagar police and Operation Cell of West District arrested one person for sexually assaulting an 87-year-old lady on Tuesday.

Speaking to ANI, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of the west district, New Delhi, Prashant Gautam said, "The accused was identified as Ankit Jhandal Mogli, 30, resident of Harijan Colony, Tilak Nagar Delhi. He has been arrested with the mobile phone of the victim." He further added that several teams of West District police staff under a 'Special Investigation Team' worked overnight to identify and nab the culprit, in an almost no clue case.

According to the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, the prosecutrix, 87, resident of Tilak Nagar, Delhi, resides with her daughter aged 65 years. On Sunday, in a daily routine, the daughter went to a park nearby at midday. She had not locked the main door and just bolted the latch (Kundi). When she came back after one hour or so, she found the main door of the house opened.

Prashant also said that the victim was mentally disturbed and could only tell about her missing phone. The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police further added, "When police reached, the daughter of the victim gave a handwritten complaint wherein she alleged that an unknown person entered her house on the pretext of checking gas connection. The victim gave her phone to him to call her daughter but the unknown person fled with her mobile phone."

The Additional Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police also stated, "Accordingly, an FIR under 380 IPC was registered at PS Tilak Nagar and investigations were carried out."

Prashant further added that the next morning, the family made an allegation of sexual assault on the 87 yrs old lady on 13 February by the same unknown person.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police said that "Keeping in view the gravity of the offence, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the undersigned was constituted by the additional commissioner of Police of Western Range."

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police said that "A massive manhunt was launched to identify and arrest the accused. Sources for ground intelligence were activated and hundreds of police staff were deployed only to identify and arrest the accused. The help of technical data analysis and the help of CCTV was also taken to identify the accused."

Prashant further stated that 19 different teams of police personnel were formed under the supervision of either Inspector or Sub-Inspector besides the SIT. Prashant also said that during the overnight, sleepless, pain taking efforts, the team managed to zero down on the suspect Ankit Jhandal Mogli.

According to the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, the accused accepted his crime and also revealed that while roaming in the area, he went upstairs with intent to commit theft and he found the door without a lock. He opened the latch and went inside where he found the prosecutrix alone in a room.

The prosecutrix asked him about the reason for his presence to which he replied that he came there for gas repair. Finding her alone, the accused bolted the door from inside and told the prosecutrix that by mistake the door was closed and not opening, on which the prosecutrix gave her phone to call her daughter who can help in opening the door. But instead of dialling, the accused forcibly committed sexual assault.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police further added that the cursory search of the house resulted in the recovery of the stolen mobile phone and clothes of the accused worn at the time of the incident. He was arrested for the same.

( With inputs from ANI )