Delhi: Sweeper arrested for raping 87-year-old bedridden woman

New Delhi, Feb 15: A sweeper has been arrested for allegedly raping an 87-year-old bedridden woman after breaking into her house in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Sunday night when the woman's daughter had gone out to meet a friend, they said. In a tweet, the Delhi Police said, "The case of sexual assault of elderly lady in Tilak Nagar has been solved. Culprit in this blind case nabbed within 16 hours. Victim's mobile phone recovered from him.

Accused lives in nearby locality and works as a sweeper." Police had set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter. A case has been registered under sections 380 (theft in dwelling house, etc), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 376 (Punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to the police.

The elderly woman's family members had alleged that the police delayed action and did not take their complaint, a charge denied by officials. Police had said that only a complaint of theft was lodged on Sunday night and a case was registered "promptly" on its basis at the Tilak Nagar police station.

On Monday, the complainant alleged that she was also sexually assaulted and the relevant IPC sections were added to the case, they said. According to the woman's family members, the police had said, the man broke into the house.

After the elderly woman spotted and questioned him, he said he worked for a gas agency and was called to the house for some work. When the woman tried to raise an alarm as she found him to be suspicious, the accused attacked her, sexually assaulted her and stole her mobile phone, her family members told the police. After the woman's daughter got back home, she found her injured and approached the police, the family members said.