NEW DELHI: A 23-year-old domestic help, who was earning a monthly salary of Rs 20,000 and had accumulated an online gambling debt of around Rs 7 lakh, has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 22-year-old daughter of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in south Delhi’s Kailash Hills.
According to sources quoted by news agency ANI, the accused stated that the family treated him very well and paid him a monthly salary of Rs 20,000 along with bonuses. The accused, Rahul Meena, had worked with the family for nearly a year before being dismissed. He allegedly turned to crime driven by financial distress and personal resentment. Police also said he had returned to his village in Rajasthan’s Alwar weeks before the incident and was already facing a separate case there involving sexual assault.
Key Details of the Case
The locker did not respond to the victim’s fingerprints, likely because of cessation of blood circulation. The accused forced open the safe, stole cash and jewellery, and discarded his blood-stained outfit before changing into the victim’s brother’s clothes. Meena was addicted to online gambling and had a debt of Rs 7 lakh.
According to police, Meena had been hired as domestic help after his father requested the family to give him the job. He was later removed following allegations of misappropriation of funds and complaints about his behaviour from neighbours and local shopkeepers. Investigators said Meena allegedly viewed his dismissal as a “personal humiliation”. Police also said he was addicted to online gambling through social gaming apps, which led to mounting losses and a debt of around Rs 7 lakh.
Sequence of Events
The accused had allegedly travelled to Delhi after selling his mobile phone for Rs 10,000 and hiring a vehicle for about Rs 6,000. On the day of the incident, CCTV footage showed him entering the residential colony at around 6.30 am and the house at 6.39 am. He left around 7.20 am. Police said Meena used a spare key kept in a shoe rack to enter the house and no signs of forced entry were found.
The victim, an IIT Delhi graduate and UPSC aspirant, was studying in her terrace room when the accused allegedly entered and demanded money. When she refused, an argument broke out. Police sources said he first attempted to strangulate her, after which she fell unconscious. Sexual assault is suspected at that stage, followed by a violent attack with a heavy object. He then allegedly stole around Rs 2.5 lakh in cash and valuables and fled. Investigators said he also changed his blood-stained clothes before leaving.
Arrest and Interrogation
Police said he was later traced using a digital trail involving a stolen phone, hotel Wi-Fi usage and Instagram chats, and was arrested from a hotel in Dwarka. During interrogation, Meena allegedly told investigators that he had gone to the house only to take money and repeatedly said that "it just happened". He also reportedly said that "if didi had given the money, this would not have happened". Police said he has shown no visible remorse during questioning and maintained a calm demeanour.
