I was crying, I was in pain: Delhi teen recounts assault by 3 men in park

A teenager who was allegedly gangraped at Delhi's Astha Kunj Park has told police that three men posing as policemen threatened her and her friend with a gun and knives before sexually assaulting her on September 21.

In her statement to investigators, accessed by India Today, the victim said she had gone out with a male friend on her birthday to visit Kalkaji Temple and had planned to visit the ISKCON temple later in the evening.

"It was my birthday. I wanted to visit Kalkaji Temple on my birthday," she told police.

According to her statement, she left home around 5 pm after informing her elder sister and reached the temple with her friend at about 5:45 pm. After offering prayers, the two bought chips and a bottle of water near Kalkaji Metro Station and entered Astha Kunj Park through Gate No. 7.

"I also wanted to visit the ISKCON temple. I told my friend that we should sit in the park for some time, eat chips and then go for darshan," she said.

The teenager said they had just sat on a bench near the swings when three men, whom she estimated to be between 30 and 35 years old, approached them.

"As soon as we entered through Gate No. 7 and sat on a bench near the swings and opened the packet of chips, three boys aged around 30-35 years came from behind. They immediately caught hold of my friend and slapped him," she told police.

When the pair questioned them, the men allegedly claimed to be police personnel.

"When we asked who they were, they said, 'We are policemen. Why have you come here at this time? Entry is not allowed here,'" the victim said.

She alleged that the men took away both their mobile phones and separated her from her friend. Frightened, she asked them to speak to her parents.

"I was very scared. I told them, 'Sir, ask whatever you want to ask here. Talk to my mother,'" she said.

According to the statement, one of the accused then called out to another man, identified as Asif, and asked him to take out a gun.

"Then one of the boys said, 'Asif bhai, take out the gun.' The person whom he called Asif was wearing a purple-coloured shirt. He was the healthiest among the three. Then Asif showed a black-coloured gun from the pocket of his jeans and then put it back in his pocket. Then both of them took out knives," she alleged.

The victim said she was then taken towards a secluded and darker part of the park.

"They took me towards the darker side," she told police.

According to her statement, the three men sexually assaulted her one after another while threatening her with a knife.

"I was crying. I was in pain," she said.

The teenager further alleged that after the assault, the accused returned some of her clothes, brought her friend back to her and handed back their mobile phones.

"They brought my friend to me, gave our phones back to us and said, 'Leave this place quickly, otherwise we will kill you. And don't tell anyone anything,'" she told police.

The victim said she and her friend left the park immediately. Once outside, she informed him about the alleged assault, following which he called the police.

Delhi Police is investigating the case.- EndsWith inputs from Ashutosh Kumar