NEW DELHI: Police investigating the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park in south Delhi are examining whether the three accused had targeted other vulnerable couples in the past, while investigators are also probing the alleged destruction of evidence after Monday evening’s incident.Police sources said Asif, one of the accused, was allegedly carrying a pistol and a condom in his pocket when he entered the park, followed by two brothers, Hemant Singh and Mukesh Singh.Investigators are examining whether the three had been involved in similar incidents earlier that went unreported.The police are pursuing the angle as the three men were known to frequently hang around the park during late hours. So far, investigators have not found any previous complaints against them.The girl and her friend were sitting on a bench when the three men allegedly approached them while posing as policemen in plain clothes, police said.After allegedly intimidating the teenagers, they took the boy around 200 metres away and allegedly slapped and threatened him. The girl was then taken to a secluded and dark stretch of the park, where the three men allegedly took turns raping her, police sources said.The girl was allegedly threatened against disclosing the incident to anyone.Accused ‘washed’ clothes after incidentInvestigators are also examining what the accused allegedly did after leaving the park.According to news agency ANI, police said Hemant and Mukesh allegedly returned home after the incident and washed everything, including their lower garments, in an attempt to destroy evidence. They also allegedly deleted their search history.Police are examining these actions as part of the investigation into possible attempts to destroy or remove evidence.Phones sent to FSL for data retrievalInvestigators have also examined the mobile phones of the accused.Police sources said they found “objectionable material”, including videos, on Asif’s phone. Some data was allegedly deleted from the phones of Hemant and Mukesh.The phones have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to retrieve the deleted data, sources said.Investigators are examining the digital evidence as part of the probe into the alleged crime and to establish the movements and activities of the accused.Police had alerted DDA about park securityThe incident has also brought scrutiny on security arrangements at Aastha Kunj Park. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which maintains the park, is facing criticism over the lack of CCTV cameras inside the premises.Police have pointed out that there were no CCTV cameras inside the park and said they had alerted the DDA at least three times about security concerns since 2025.DDA sources said its horticulture department had also written multiple letters over the past year seeking increased patrolling at the park.A DDA official said nine security guards were deployed during each shift at strategic locations, along with supervisory and patrolling arrangements.Police are continuing to investigate the alleged rape, the accused’s movements before and after the incident, possible earlier complaints involving them and the alleged attempts to destroy evidence.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
