Priyanka Gandhi slams Centre over Delhi teen's gang rape and murder
Synopsis
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped, stabbed to death, and her body abandoned in a Delhi field — discovered days later in a decomposed state. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have directly targeted Home Minister Amit Shah over Delhi Police's delayed response, turning a brutal crime into a sharp political reckoning over women's safety in the capital.
Key Takeaways
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi condemned the alleged gang rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in Delhi on 19 September 2026 .
The victim's decomposed body was found on 13 September near Kushak Road, Swaroop Nagar, North Delhi ; stray dogs had reportedly eaten parts of the body.
Police arrested four accused , including three juveniles aged 16 and 17 ; the adult accused is identified as Shivam alias Sudama alias Chuchu of Khadda Colony .
Investigators traced the accused through footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras during a night-long operation on 15–16 September .
A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act .
Rahul Gandhi directly held Home Minister Amit Shah accountable, noting Delhi Police functions under the Centre's jurisdiction.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday, 19 September 2026, sharply criticised the government over women's safety in Delhi after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped, murdered, and her body abandoned in an open field — a case that has sparked nationwide outrage and political controversy.
Priyanka Gandhi's Charge
Taking to social media platform X, Priyanka Gandhi wrote: 'In Delhi, all limits of cruelty were crossed against a 17-year-old girl, and after that, she was brutally murdered. Just a few days earlier, another minor girl was raped. No one in the country is willing to take responsibility for women's safety, only empty talk about women's development is offered. Hundreds of women face atrocities and violence, but they cannot hope for concrete action against the perpetrators, FIRs aren't even filed.'
She added: 'Both society and the government have completely failed in granting women their rights to safety, freedom, and equality.'
Rahul Gandhi Targets Amit Shah
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue on Friday night, directly naming Union Home Minister Amit Shah, under whose jurisdiction Delhi Police falls. In his post on X, Gandhi said: 'In Delhi, a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped, murdered, and her body was dumped in an open field. Such a horrific act of brutality in the capital, and the police had no clue for days.'
Gandhi further wrote: 'Amit Shah ji, Delhi Police is under your control. Ultimately, whose responsibility is women's safety? Or has the job of Delhi Police been reduced to just intimidating and threatening ordinary citizens? Because the criminals are roaming around fearlessly.' He demanded that the accused be arrested immediately and that accountability be fixed for what he called 'criminal negligence'.
What Happened: The Crime
According to police, the victim's severely decomposed body was discovered on 13 September near Jaipal Rana's field along Kushak Road in the Swaroop Nagar area of North Delhi. The condition of the body was such that investigators could not initially determine the victim's gender. Stray dogs had reportedly eaten parts of the body, and one of the victim's hands was found detached.
Police say the girl was acquainted with the accused and had been travelling with them in a tempo. The group allegedly consumed alcohol during the journey, after which the girl was sexually assaulted and subsequently stabbed to death before her body was dumped. The girl's family had not filed a missing person complaint; relatives reportedly told investigators she would sometimes leave home and stay away for several days.
The Investigation and Arrests
With no eyewitnesses and the identities of the suspects initially unknown, police analysed footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras along the suspected crime scene and adjoining routes. A night-long operation on 15–16 September traced the tempo used in the alleged crime.
Four persons have since been apprehended — including three juveniles aged 16 and 17. The adult accused has been identified as Shivam, also known as Sudama and Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony, according to police. Two knives allegedly used during the crime, clothes purportedly worn by the accused, and the tempo have been recovered.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Broader Context
This case emerges against a backdrop of persistent concerns about the safety of women and girls in the national capital. Critics argue that Delhi Police's delayed detection — the body was discovered days after the alleged murder — underscores systemic failures in policing and community reporting. Notably, the Indian National Congress (INC) has used the incident to mount a coordinated political attack, with both Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi posting on X within hours of each other. With Delhi under the jurisdiction of the Centre, the case is likely to intensify the ongoing political debate over law-and-order accountability in the capital.
Point of View
X posts, and demands for accountability that rarely translate into structural reform. What is striking is how long it took for the crime to surface: the body was discovered days after the alleged murder, and the family had filed no missing person complaint. That silence points to failures well beyond policing — in community trust, family reporting, and the social safety net for vulnerable girls. Directing accountability solely at Amit Shah is politically convenient for the Congress, but the deeper question is whether Delhi's institutional architecture — police capacity, CCTV coverage, fast-track courts, POCSO enforcement — is being overhauled between tragedies or merely condemned during them.
NationPress
19 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Delhi gang rape and murder case involving a 17-year-old?
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped, stabbed to death, and her body dumped in an open field in the Swaroop Nagar area of North Delhi. Her severely decomposed body was discovered on 13 September; stray dogs had reportedly eaten parts of it. Police have arrested four persons, including three juveniles, in connection with the case.
Who has been arrested in the Delhi teen murder case?
Four persons have been apprehended — three juveniles aged 16 and 17, and one adult identified as Shivam, also known as Sudama and Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony in Delhi. Two knives allegedly used in the crime, clothes worn by the accused, and the tempo have been recovered.
What did Priyanka Gandhi say about women's safety in Delhi?
Priyanka Gandhi posted on X that 'all limits of cruelty were crossed' against the girl, and accused both the government and society of failing women. She said hundreds of women face atrocities without hope of concrete action, and that FIRs are often not even filed.
Why did Rahul Gandhi name Amit Shah in his post about the Delhi case?
Rahul Gandhi named Home Minister Amit Shah because Delhi Police functions under the Union Home Ministry's jurisdiction, not the Delhi state government. Gandhi argued that if the police failed to detect a brutal crime for days, the accountability lay with the Centre.
Under which laws has the Delhi teen rape-murder case been registered?
The case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, given that the victim was a minor.
