11-Year-Old Girl Kidnapped, Raped And Murdered By Cab Driver In Mehrauli

An 11-year-old homeless girl was allegedly abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered by a cab driver in south Delhi’s Mehrauli area, police said. The child was sleeping on a footpath with her family when she was taken away early on Monday morning, triggering a search that ended with the arrest of the accused later that night.

According to police, the girl was kidnapped around 5 am. The accused allegedly drove her to an isolated location, where she was sexually assaulted. Investigators are still piecing together the exact sequence of events, including the route taken by the accused and the time at which the child was killed.

Police traced accused through CCTV footage

The girl’s parents alerted Delhi Police around 7 am after discovering that she was missing. Multiple police teams were formed and CCTV footage from nearby areas was examined. During the search, investigators reportedly found visuals showing the minor with the accused cab driver.

A senior police official said the initial probe suggests the accused may have attempted to bring the child back towards Mehrauli. However, after noticing police presence in the area, he allegedly drove away with her again. Police suspect he later took her to a forested stretch in Mehrauli and strangled her.

The child’s body was later recovered from the Faridabad-Gurugram road area, police said. The accused was arrested on Monday night after interrogation and technical surveillance helped investigators identify and track him. Police have said the cab driver confessed to kidnapping and killing the child during questioning.

Post-mortem to confirm cause of death

The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death and document injuries. Police said the investigation has confirmed that the child was allegedly sexually assaulted before being murdered. Forensic evidence, medical findings and CCTV footage are expected to be crucial in building the case.

The case is likely to be investigated under stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, depending on the final medical and forensic reports. Police will also examine whether the accused acted alone and whether there was any prior surveillance of the family.

The incident has again raised concerns over the safety of homeless children in Delhi, particularly those forced to sleep in open public spaces. Children living on pavements, near markets, bus stops and religious sites remain highly vulnerable because they often lack secure shelter, documentation and immediate access to protection services.

Police said further investigation is underway and statements of the family members are being recorded. Officers are also reviewing additional camera footage from Mehrauli and surrounding routes to reconstruct the crime. The post-mortem report will determine the next steps in the case and support the chargesheet against the accused.