Blind murder of six years old child solved and accused arrested.

On Sep 22, 2015

With the arrest of accused Chaman Lal (age 40 years) r/o Mochi Bagh Gaon, New Delhi, a team of PS South Campus, South District has solved a blind murder case of a six years old child whose dead body was found hanging under a tree in ridge area near Dhaula Kuan on 16.09.15.

Brief Facts :

In the intermittent night of 15/16.09.15, the complainant Santosh Dass r/o Shri Ram Jhuggi Camp, South Campus reported missing of his six years old son namely Raja since evening of 15-09-15. In this regard, a case FIR No. 530/15 u/s 363 IPC was registered at PS South Campus and investigation was taken up.

Investigation :

In order to trace the missing boy on the night of 15/16.09.15, the police teams conducted intensive search in the nearby areas such as parks, drains, pits, man-holes, jungle area on back side of college and deserted areas along with local residents of camp and relatives of missing boy. The nearby jhuggi clusters were also checked but there was no clue about the missing boy.

On 16-09-15 at about 12.30 PM, a passerby Raj Dutt Pandey r/o Trilok Puri while going to Dhaula Kuan from Karol Bagh via Ridge Road went inside the ridge to urinate. He noticed a boy was hanging from a tree with a rope. He immediately informed the PCR about the incident. Since the area falls under the jurisdiction of PS Delhi Cantt., Insp. Ashok Kumar, SHO/Delhi Cantt. with staff reached the spot. In order to identify the deceased, records of ZIP Net was searched and it was found that a boy of the similar description was reported missing at PS South Campus. In this regard, the information was received by SHO South Campus who immediately reached the spot along with parents of missing boy and identified the deceased to be their son Raja.

The deceased was found strangulated with a nylon rope and other end of the rope was tied with a branch of the tree. The hands of the deceased were also tied on his back. The body was sent for post mortem. The post-mortem was conducted on 16.09.15 and report is awaited. Apparent cause of death is strangulation since no other mark of external injury was found on the body of deceased. The Section 302 IPC was added in FIR No. 530/15.

The murder was blind and there was no clue as the parents of deceased expressed no enmity with any person. Father of the deceased Santosh Dass is a labourer and works as Beldaar in whitewash/painting jobs. He has two daughters and two sons, out of which deceased was the elder son.

Eight teams under supervision of Sh. S.P. Tyagi, ACP/S.J. Enclave were formed under close supervision of Inspr. Suresh Chand, SHO/South Campus, Inspr. Neeraj Choudhary, SHO/R.K. Puram, Inspr. Dinesh Kumar and Inspr. Vijaypal Dahiya. Since the child was found missing while he was playing with other children of the nearby jhuggi dwellers, local enquiries were made. On sustained efforts, it was noticed that among the children (upto the age group of 15-16 years) one Chaman Lal @ Lamboo was quite popular and children were friendly to him. The information about Chaman Lal @ Lamboo was developed and it was observed that he lives in a room in nearby Mochi Bagh Gaon. He disposes malba from the jhuggi cluster on his rickshaw in lieu of labour charges of Rs. 200/250. He used to spend a part of his earning on the children of jhuggi dwellers by distributing sweets and eatables among them. When checked, he was not found available in his room. Hence, a close watch was kept to locate him.

During local enquiry, it was revealed that on the fateful evening of 15.9.15, deceased Raja was present with Chaman Lal @ Lamboo at a tea shop near Sri Ram Camp and Chaman Lal had purchased a piece of Soan-Papri for Raja from the tea stall. It was further revealed that Lamboo @ Chaman Lal was seen going towards Ring Road with a child and description of the clothes worn by the child who had accompanied Chaman Lal was similar to the missing boy. This vital information created suspicion on Lamboo. The investigation was focused to trace Chaman Lal and deploy sources to collect more information about him. During investigation, it came to notice that Chandu Kabadi (name changed being juvenile), a rag-picker could reveal more about Lamboo. Search for Chandu made and information was received that Chandu used to take ‘lungar’ at Gurudwara Nanakpura on every Sunday. A team led by SI Ashok Kumar in civvies was detailed near Gurudwara Nanakpura. On 20.9.15 at around 9.30 AM, at the instance of informer Chandu Kabadi was traced. During enquiry, initially he tried to misguide the police team that he did not know Lamboo but once his fear was removed he spilled the beans and told that in the evening of 15.9.15, while picking empty plastic bottles near Chankayapuri Ring Railway Station, he noticed Chaman Lal @ Lamboo holding a hand of a boy was going towards ridge area. When he asked Lamboo about the child and where he was taking him, he scolded him. This created suspicion in the mind of Chandu who kept following them. Chandu further revealed that Lamboo entered in the jungle of ridge from Sardar Patel Marg side and after walking a distance, he sat with the child on ground. They ate something and then Lamboo gave his genital in the hands of that child. After some time, he pulled down the half pent of child and started playing with the genital of child who started crying and weeping. In a bid to make the child to keep quiet, Chaman Lal started scolding him but the child continued crying. Out of fear, Chandu ran away from the ridge.

On further query, Chandu revealed that a few days back, Lamboo did unnatural sex with him (sodomy) and gave Rs. 50/- to him. He also threatened him not to tell anything to anybody otherwise he would kill him. Chandu also revealed that on earlier occasions, Lamboo had compelled him for masturbation. A frantic search was made and accused Chaman Lal @ Lamboo was arrested at the instance of Chandu from a jungle near Gurudwara Nanak Pura.

Interrogation :

During interrogation, accused Chaman Lal disclosed his involvement in kidnapping of boy Raja from Sri Ram Camp and taking him to jungle of ridge. He wanted to commit sodomy but could not as boy had started weeping and crying. Due to darkness, the boy became restless and was crying for his mother. More he tried to keep quiet the child, more he was crying. Out of rage, he first tide the hand of child on his back and then out of fear that child will reveal his identity, he strangulated Raja with the same rope and tied the another end of rope with a tree and then fled away. Accused Chaman Lal @ Lamboo also admitted committing sodomy with Chandu. On interrogation, it came to know that his wife deserted him after few months of his marriage due to his habit of drinking and unnatural sex. Since then, he used to spend some money on young children, preferably rag-pickers to fulfill his lust.

On 15.9.15, he allured Raja by giving him a piece of soanpapdi and took him to jungle. While on way to jungle area of ridge, he purchased rice and dal from a vendor at Dhaula Kuan. He met Chandu near Chanakyapuri Railway Station and when Chandu asked him about the boy, he rebuked him. His antecedents are being checked and efforts are being made to trace more victims of his lust.

A case FIR No. 541 u/s 377/506 IPC and 4 POCSO Act has also been registered on the statement of Chandu against Lamboo @ Chaman Lal.