Kanjhawala case: Identity of 4 accused established on basis of CCTV footage, says charge sheet

New Delhi: The four accused in the grisly Kanjhawala case — where a 20-year-old woman was killed after being dragged under a car for several kilometres — were identified on the basis of a CCTV footage, witnesses’ statements, and scientific evidence, the Delhi Police said in its 800-page charge sheet.

The four accused, namely Amit Khanna, Krishan, Manoj Mittal and Mithun, were present in the car, according to the final report.

Including the victim Anjali Singh’s friend, the charge sheet mentions statements of total six eyewitnesses. The others are the person who informed police about the body, an autorickshaw driver, and a person who was in the car with the four accused but was dropped at Sultanpuri before the incident.

“It has also been revealed by the footage that the accused knew that the victim was entangled. The accused didn’t try to save the life of the woman. After getting back in the car, they intentionally dragged her for a long distance to kill her,” the charge sheet claimed.

It stated that the DNA profile generated from the strands of hairs recovered from the car matched with the profile generated from the blood samples of Khanna, Mittal, and Krishan.

According to the charge sheet, blood spots on the accused’s clothes matched the DNA profile generated from the blood sample of the victim.

Police charge sheet said: “A forensic science laboratory team lifted the blood in gauze from the offending car and the spot where the body of the deceased was found. The DNA profile thus prepared matched with the DNA profile prepared from the blood in gauze preserved during the post-mortem of the deceased.”

Accused and car owner Ashutosh Bhardwaj had given it to Amit Khanna, who did not possess a valid driving licence, as per the report.

Moreover, alcohol above the permissible limit was present in Khanna’s blood test, the report said.

“During the interrogation, Bhardwaj disclosed that when he came to know about the incident and that the person driving the car did not possess a valid driving licence, he, Ankush Khanna and other accused planned to plant another person possessing a valid driving licence as the driver of the offending car at the time of the incident,” the charge sheet said.

“Bhardwaj helped in the disappearance of the evidence of offence and gave false information to shield the accused,” it said.

Delhi’s Rohini court on Thursday took cognisance of the charge sheet against seven accused filed by the police.

After taking cognisance of the charge sheet, Metropolitan Magistrate Sanya Dalal listed the matter for scrutiny and committal of the case to sessions court on April 18.

Accused Deepak Khanna, 26, Amit Khanna, 25, Krishan (27), Mithun (26) and Manoj Mittal were arrested on January 2.

Two other co-accused Bhardwaj and Ankush Khanna, were earlier given bail by the court.

Amit Khanna and Bhardwaj were also booked in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act’s rules.

According to the charge sheet, Amit Khanna, Krishan, Mithun and Mittal have been accused of murder.

“During the course of investigation, seven men were arrested and upon its completion, a charge sheet of around 800 pages was prepared with around 120 witnesses,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer, Harendra Singh, had earlier said.

The police had said: “On the basis of the material and evidence collected during the investigation, to the best of capabilities, sufficient material has come on record to prosecute the accused.”

It said all the accused were booked for criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, harbouring offender, common intention and false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person.

Amit Khanna has been charged with additional offences by the Delhi Police for reckless driving and causing hurt by endangering their lives or personal safety.

Initially, the case was registered under Sections 279 and 304 of the IPC but later, police had added Section 302 (murder) in the matter.

On January 21, the Rohini court had dismissed Deepak Khanna’s bail plea.

Anjali died a painful death on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 in the Kanjhawala area after her scooty was hit by the car and her body was dragged for around 12 km.

–IANS