The cab driver accused of abducting and murdering an 11-year-old girl in south Delhi allegedly told police that he had returned from Bihar around 15 days ago and was looking to have sex when he spotted the child sleeping beside her family on a pavement, investigators have said.
Police said Bashu Kumar Singh (29) allegedly abducted the girl from near Chhatarpur metro station in Mehrauli in the early hours of June 22 while she was sleeping and put her into his car.
During interrogation, Singh allegedly told police that he initially calmed the child by promising to take her for a ride and drop her back home, officials said on Wednesday.
Investigators said the girl, who was drowsy when she was abducted, fell asleep again in the car as Singh drove around 10 to 12 kilometres towards Mandi Road near Fatehpur Beri.
According to police, Singh allegedly tried to sexually assault the child in the rear seat of the vehicle, but was unable to do so because of erectile dysfunction.
In his statement, the accused said he threatened the girl with dire consequences if she raised an alarm and then drove her to a secluded forested stretch near the Faridabad-Gurugram border, where he allegedly killed her and dumped the body under a pile of stones, the officials said.
Police sources said Singh’s medical examination has confirmed erectile dysfunction, with his impotency test returning positive.
Investigators said the girl’s family was sleeping on a pavement, with the child lying between her mother, aunt, brother and father. Singh had parked his car right next to them with the rear door open, police said.
He had allegedly been watching the child through the rear window of the car before abducting her, an officer said.
As the vehicle started moving, the girl woke up and called out to her father, waking him up. Her father ran after the car and threw sticks at it in an attempt to stop it, but Singh sped away, police said.
The probe initially faced hurdles as the girl’s father could only recall that the vehicle had a yellow number plate, indicating that it was a commercial vehicle. Police later scanned CCTV footage from nearby shops, reconstructed the route and tracked the accused.
After dumping the body, Singh returned to his rented accommodation in Gurugram, changed clothes and resumed work within hours, police said.
A native of Bihar’s Khagaria district, Singh has been living in Delhi for over five years and had worked as a security guard before becoming a cab driver in 2023. Police said he has five criminal cases registered against him in Bihar, including two for attempt to murder.
Delhi Police is preparing to serve notices to three major cab aggregators linked to Singh, seeking details of his onboarding and verification process.
A case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act has been registered.
A separate case was also filed against Singh at Fatehpur Beri police station after he allegedly tried to snatch a police officer’s weapon while trying to flee and was shot in the leg in retaliatory firing. The chargesheet will be filed soon, police said.
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Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia
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