Forensics team from Gujarat visits Sultanpuri

A team of five experts from the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) at Gandhinagar in Gujarat travelled to the national capital on Thursday to collect forensic evidence as part of the investigation into the gruesome Sultanpuri accident, Delhi Police officers aware of the matter said.

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, a Maruti Suzuki Baleno car hit 20-year-old Anjali Kumari when she was on her way home on her scooter. Anjali’s leg got stuck on the underside of the car, and she was dragged for nearly three hours on a stretch of over 14 kilometres.

According to the post-mortem report, Kumari suffered at least 40 grievous wounds. Her skull was fractured and some brain matter was missing, her ribs were exposed from the back, and she suffered deep-cut wounds on both her arms and her forehead, the autopsy report showed.

The police arrested a total of seven suspects. Five of them were nabbed on January 1 itself, while two others were later held for destruction of evidence.

On Thursday, deputy commissioner of police (outer) Harendra Kumar Singh said since local forensic experts were unable to determine the exact duration and distance that Anjali was dragged, police requested NFSU experts to provide more comprehensive reports.

“The five NFSU experts, including professors and researchers, reached the spot and started collecting forensic evidence. Their evidence can be proved vital during the trial against the accused. If needed, they will continue collecting the evidence on Friday also,” DCP Singh said.

Police on Monday, citing CCTV footage, told a Delhi court that two of the accused involved in the case alighted from the car and noticed that something was stuck under the vehicle, but still chose to drive on.

The police also informed the court that other CCTV camera footage from the area show that the car kept moving, even as the woman’s body remained trapped under the vehicle.