Delhi Rape: The Probe Speaks to Witnesses, Alleged Attacker Identified

Delhi Rape: Witnesses Reveal Explosive Details

On 29 January, The Probe published a disturbing report involving the repeated sexual assault of a homeless woman, Ashraya (name changed), who claimed she was raped on multiple occasions by a man named Shahid. Despite reporting the initial incident to the Hazrat Nizamuddin police in September 2024, Ashraya alleges the authorities dismissed her case, offering her an impossible choice—either marry her rapist or forgive him. The police did not conduct a medical examination or register an FIR in the matter.

In January 2025, Ashraya was sexually assaulted again by the same attacker, but this time, the attack escalated. She stated that Shahid, along with his father and uncle, brutally assaulted her. Once again, Ashraya, physically battered and severely injured, went to the police seeking help, but she alleges that no FIR was registered. Even after seeking support from a lawyer and returning to the police station, the apathy continued. When The Probe reached out to the SHO of Nizamuddin police station, the officer claimed that Shahid was Ashraya’s husband, a statement Ashraya vehemently denies.

In a significant development, The Probe has spoken to multiple eyewitnesses who were present at the site when Ashraya was being violently attacked. These witnesses have provided shocking details about the attack. The Probe has also obtained photographs of the alleged perpetrator, which have been confirmed by the witnesses as the same man who assaulted Ashraya in January.

The Probe visited the exact location in Nizamuddin where the alleged incident took place. Our team was able to precisely establish the spot, and we documented the area with photographs and video recordings. During our on-ground investigation, we walked around the vicinity and spoke to numerous locals. Many residents recalled unusual disturbances on the day of the assault and provided details about the alleged incident. 

One of our primary objectives was to assess whether the area was under video surveillance. We observed that while some parts of the street were monitored, the specific location of the incident did not appear to be covered by any immediate CCTV camera. However, our investigation led us to a nearby petrol pump, located a little farther from the scene, which was equipped with CCTV cameras. Although these cameras might have captured activity on the other end of the road, it remains unclear whether they recorded the critical moments of the attack. 

During our inquiry, The Probe has accessed a photograph of the alleged perpetrator involved in the assault on Ashraya. The victim Ashraya has alleged that the man in the photo is indeed Shahid—the same individual who has been stalking her, falsely claiming to be her husband, and repeatedly raping her. This identification was further reinforced by statements from her children, who also recognised Shahid as the man responsible for the continuous harassment and abuse.

As part of our coverage, we also spoke to several eyewitnesses who provided accounts of the violent assault and rape on January 18. Their testimonies were consistent with Ashraya’s version of events, describing a brutal attack that unfolded over several hours on that fateful day in January. These witnesses recounted the victim being dragged, beaten, and left in a severely injured state. The eyewitness accounts, combined with the photographic evidence and the victim’s own testimony, present a disturbing picture of systematic abuse.

We also spoke to additional witnesses, including Salman, who was present at the scene in Nizamuddin in January when the attack took place. Salman confirmed the identity of the perpetrator and provided further details about the violence. "Yes, he is the man who violently was beating her up," Salman stated. "This man whose picture you are showing, his father and his uncle were also beating her up very badly. I saw it with my own eyes."

Salman recounted the brutal assault, pointing to a wooden log used by the attackers. "Can you see this wooden log? They actually used this to beat her up. This is the place where the violent assault started. They kept beating her with this wooden log. They beat her up on her neck. They started beating her up at about 8 pm, and this went on till about 4 am—they were beating her badly."

Salman described the scene in detail: "That was probably the 18th of January. I had gotten some food and sat on the footpath, just about to eat when I saw this brutal incident. They started beating her up from here, then dragged her by her hair, continuously beating her, and dragged her to the other end of the footpath. This was so violent that the woman literally fell unconscious after taking all the beatings."

Delhi Rape survivor Ashraya speaks to The Probe

Delhi Rape | “She was Beaten Up in Front of the Police, Police Didn't Care to Stop the Attacker”

Salman went on to reveal chilling details about the assault that took place allegedly in full view of the police, who reportedly failed to intervene. “This happened right in front of the police. With folded hands, I begged the police to please come and save the woman. The policeman was sitting inside his jeep right there, but he didn’t get out. He told me to mind my business and not to get involved in other people’s matters,” Salman recounted.

He further explained that when the police refused to act, he attempted to intervene, but in the chaos, he was injured by the wooden log used in the attack. “See, this injury on my face. This was when I tried to rescue her. The wood scratched my face, and then I thought I shouldn’t interfere. But I kept telling them to please leave her,” Salman said. He also noted that at least 25 to 30 people were witnessing the attack, which occurred in front of Ashraya’s children. “She was being beaten up in front of her children, and her children were pleading, saying ‘Please don’t beat my mother, please don’t beat my mother,’ but still, they kept beating her up.”

Salman described the brutality of the attack, where the victim was dragged by her hair, pushed against a wall, and repeatedly punched in the stomach. “I told the police with folded hands that they will kill her if you don’t intervene. But they completely ignored me,” he added, expressing his frustration over the police's inaction.

Delhi Rape: “I saw her being raped that day”

The Probe spoke to a woman on the street who, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed witnessing Ashraya being sexually assaulted on the road on the very same day. “I saw that the man was forcing himself on her and was raping her on the road that day,” the woman recalled.

Another witness, who also observed the commotion, told The Probe, “I saw men beating her up, and I saw that there was a commotion in the road.”

We also spoke to Ashraya’s son, who shared his perspective on the situation. “I was rescued as a child bonded labourer many years ago. We are from a very poor family. I kept telling my mother, ‘Let’s go back to our village. This place is not good for us.’ My father died a year and a half ago. After that, my mother did not remarry. This man Shahid, I don’t like him. He used to drink and come here almost every day. He used to beat my mother. I kept telling him not to beat my mother. He would snatch money from my mother and then use that money to drink,” Ashraya’s son stated. 

Delhi Rape | Survivor Ashraya Speaks to The Probe: Reveals Shocking Details

Ashraya agreed to sit down for a video interview with The Probe. During the interview, she said that when she was raped in September in a park, she had screamed for help and the police had allegedly arrived. She said that the perpetrator reportedly told the officers that Ashraya was his wife. Shockingly, Ashraya claims that the police then instructed him to take her to a room and do whatever he wanted. “He was raping me, and the police were right there in the park in September. When they asked him what was happening, he said, ‘She is my wife,’ and then the cops said, ‘Take her to a room and do whatever. This is not the place,’” she recalled.

In an emotional interview with The Probe, Ashraya shared more distressing details. “In September, he raped me near Chidiyaghar, and when I went to the police, they said there were jurisdictional issues and I must go to the Nizamuddin police station. One of the cops in the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station initially told me to leave, saying that these things just happen,” Ashraya explained. “But I insisted on going inside. Eventually, they caught Shahid and brought him to the police station, and the police told me, ‘He will not rape you again. You both belong to the same religion, you should get married to him.’ I said, ‘I can’t get married to him, he will rape me again, and maybe even kill me. Please save my dignity.’” 

Delhi Rape Survivor to The Probe: “I Fell at the Policewoman’s Feet”

Ashraya adds: “There was a police woman in the station and I fell on her feet in desperation, but they just forced me to record a video in which I said that Shahid was my husband and that he would keep me happy. The police threatened me, forcing me to say this. Otherwise, I would never have said such a thing. This man has been stalking me since a long time and has been telling everyone around me that he is my husband. ”

Ashraya also revealed the disturbing lack of legal action taken by the police despite her repeated attempts to file a report. She said, “I went to multiple police stations, but no FIR was ever registered in my case. The Nizamuddin police kept telling everyone that the rapist is my husband. When I kept telling everyone that he is not my husband, no one believed me. They are hell-bent on making him my husband, when the truth is, my husband died a year and a half ago. Can the Nizamuddin police produce one piece of evidence of court marriage or any legal document that proves my marriage to my rapist?”

She concluded, her voice heavy with anguish: “I have been denied justice. Because of the police’s failure to act, I was raped again on January 18th, and then brutally assaulted. Now, I am completely injured. My neck, my arms, my legs, my head, my back—there are marks all over my body. What should I do? Where should I go?”

In cases of sexual violence, Indian law is unambiguous: police are required to register an FIR immediately, irrespective of the jurisdiction in which the crime occurs. The Zero FIR system exists precisely to address the challenges survivors face when filing complaints, enabling them to lodge an FIR at any police station without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly emphasised that a failure to register an FIR in cases of sexual violence is not only a violation of statutory mandates but also constitutes a punishable offense.

This legal framework is designed to protect the rights of survivors and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice without unnecessary delays. The law mandates that once a complaint is made, the police must begin an investigation immediately, taking all necessary steps to collect evidence, provide medical aid, and secure the safety of the victim. Any deviation from this protocol undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system and places additional trauma on survivors who are already vulnerable.

Moreover, public servants, including police officers, are bound by duty to uphold these legal standards. Should an officer refuse to record or act upon information related to sexual offenses, they risk facing serious disciplinary action, including the possibility of imprisonment. Such measures point towards the accountability expected of those in positions of authority and reinforce the principle that the rights of survivors must be prioritised above bureaucratic inertia or personal biases.

Khatoon, the lawyer representing Ashraya, has been unequivocal in her criticism of the police response in this case. “By refusing to register an FIR, denying medical aid, and coercing Ashraya into silence, the police violated the law and disregarded her fundamental rights under the Constitution, which guarantees her the right to life and dignity,” she stated. Khatoon further stressed that these actions not only contravene established legal procedures but also intensify the suffering of the victim, who is already dealing with the physical and emotional scars of a brutal assault.

The legal obligations are clear: when a survivor of sexual violence reaches out for help, the police must act promptly and with due diligence. This includes a thorough investigation of the crime scene, the collection of forensic evidence, and the provision of immediate medical care. The failure to meet these obligations not only represents a breach of legal duty but also a violation of the constitutional rights of the individual concerned.

Conflicting Versions of Nizamuddin Police

While The Probe confirmed the identity of the alleged perpetrator through a photograph, which was verified by Ashraya and her children, multiple eyewitness accounts have corroborated Ashraya’s description of the violent physical assault and rape. A lawyer and social activist involved in the case reiterated that Ashraya is a victim of both violent physical and sexual assault. It is, therefore, incomprehensible that the Delhi police have yet to register an FIR or secure any evidence against the perpetrator.

When The Probe spoke to Khatoon, the victim’s lawyer, she alleged that when she accompanied Ashraya to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Police Station last month to file an FIR, the police claimed that Ashraya had compromised with the man in September and that video evidence existed to support this assertion.

Social activist Nirmal Gorana, whom Ashraya approached for help, echoed these claims. According to Gorana, the police maintained that the victim had compromised with the perpetrator in September, allowing him to walk free on the basis of a video recording.

However, when The Probe contacted the Nizamuddin Police, officials insisted that the man identified by the victim is, in fact, her husband. In an interview with The Probe, Ashraya stated that the police’s sole piece of evidence is the disputed video and that they cannot produce any court document or photograph substantiating a marriage between her and the alleged perpetrator. She maintains that the man has been stalking her for a long time and is both a stalker and a rapist.

These discrepancies prompt several pressing questions. Why was a zero FIR not registered back in September? Why was the alleged perpetrator released after being apprehended? What is the truth behind the alleged forced video recording? And why, when Ashraya was raped again last month and arrived at the police station severely injured, were neither an FIR registered nor a medical examination conducted? Eyewitness accounts indicate that Ashraya was dragged and beaten for hours by the accused and his family—a case that could easily be substantiated with evidence, including medical records from Safdarjung Hospital.

On what basis, then, did the police not register a case and apprehend the perpetrator and his family members involved in the assault. With too many unresolved questions and serious inconsistencies in the handling of the case, the conduct of the Nizamuddin Police is now under massive scrutiny. The urgent need to register an FIR and launch a thorough inquiry into the police response to this heinous crime remains undisputed.

(With special inputs from Jeffin Kaleekal and Titiksha Barapatre.)