Gangrape of 21-year-old: Police arrest auto driver, two accomplices at large

Irfan, a native of UP, is married and father of four children comprising two daughters and two sons, one of whom was born just two days ago. SSP (UT) Nilambri Vijay Jagdale, who briefed the media at a specially convened press conference, said the accused identified his two other accomplices as Garib, 22, and Poppu, 23.

Garib, a native of Faizabad district in UP, is also an auto driver and Poppu, a native of Sultanpur in UP, is a labourer. The police said the three accused lived in temporary shanties behind the Dabur godown in Zirakpur.

SSP Jagdale said, “Irfan was arrested by police personnel of Sector 49 police station following secret information today. During the questioning, he confessed his involvement in the crime and revealed the identities of both his accomplices. At the time of committing the crime, the three were drunk and they had planned to commit a sexual crime with any woman on November 18. Accused Irfan was driving the auto and his two accomplices were sitting in the passenger seat along with the victim. We are also investigating if he along with his associates is involved in other sex-related crimes.”

Police sources said a crime branch team intercepted Irfan on Thursday during the manhunt for the perpetrators of the gangrape but could not establish an identity match. Subsequently, constable Ashok and SHO of Sector 49 police station, Inspector Ranjodh Singh, got a tip-off about the whereabouts of the wanted men. During questioning, Irfan confessed his involvement in the crime.

The police said the scene of crime had been reconstructed and Irfan had identified the spots from where the victim boarded the auto and the secluded place in Sector 53, where the victim was gangraped by three accused. The police said Irfan was driving the auto on rent and was in the process of purchasing it. The auto had a temporary registration number.

The preliminary interrogation of Irfan revealed that he had been residing in Chandigarh and Mohali for the last eight years and shifted to Zirakpur from a suburban area of Chandigarh seven months ago. He also confessed before the investigators that the fuel in his auto ran out and that the victim gave him Rs 100 to get fuel at the Sector 42 station on November 18.

The police said as it was a well-planned crime, the three men who committed it were also aware that CCTV cameras were installed inside the fuel station so Irfan had covered the registration number with his hands while pushing the auto into the station. Irfan had wrapped a muffler on his head in an attempt to conceal his identity.