Accused Rahul Meena has been sent to custody for 4 days.

New Delhi: Investigators probing the rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman in South Delhi suspect that the accused entered the Kailash Hills apartment using a spare key and went straight to the rooftop study, where he allegedly assaulted the former employer’s daughter and dragged her blood-soaked body down, police sources said on Thursday. Accused Rahul Meena has been sent to custody for 4 days. Relating the sequence of events, police officials described Meena as a person “without remorse”, adding that he had shown little remorse and repeatedly changed his statement.Also read: After raping IRS officer’s daughter, accused stole Rs 2.5 lakh: New information in South Delhi murder caseAfter breaking into the house using a spare key, the 19-year-old accused went straight to the rooftop study, where he attacked the woman, the daughter of a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, who was preparing for her civil services exam, raped her and dragged her blood-soaked body down, police sources told PTI.According to police sources, the accused has not shown any remorse during interrogation and has maintained a calm demeanor. He allegedly told investigators that he had only gone to the house to get money and repeatedly said “it just happened.” As quoted by news agency PTI. Responding matter-of-factly during questioning, he also reportedly said that “if Didi had given the money, this would not have happened.” He allegedly strangled the victim with a mobile phone charging cable before hitting her with a heavy object, rendering her unconscious. A police source said, “Investigation reveals that the accused raped the victim when she was unconscious. He then took her down the stairs to another room where a locker was kept and tried to open the biometric lock using her fingerprint, but it did not open.” He then allegedly broke the locker using a screwdriver, stole cash and jewellery, changed his blood-stained clothes and slippers and fled the scene about 30 minutes before the victim’s parents returned home. Police said that the accused was inside the house for about 40 minutes. CCTV footage and eyewitness statements show that Rahul entered the colony around 6.30 am, entered the house at 6.49 am and left at 7.20 am. The incident came to light when the victim’s parents returned home and found her soaked in blood, with her clothes torn and belongings scattered. Police said the accused, who had worked as a domestic help in the house for about eight months before being dismissed about a month ago, was familiar with the family’s morning routine. The victim, an engineering graduate from IIT Delhi, was preparing for the civil services examination. Initially, Rahul told the police that he had taken an ambulance from Alwar to Delhi. But later he changed his statement and said that he booked a car for Rs 5,000 and left without paying the driver after reaching Delhi. “Our teams are working to ascertain the exact chain of events in both Rajasthan and Delhi. We are also examining CCTV footage from the crime scene to the hotel in Dwarka from where Rahul was arrested,” the source said. Police officials said Meena appears to be a repeat offender and is also suspected of raping a woman in Alwar, Rajasthan, hours before the Delhi crime. Alwar SP Sudhir Chaudhary said on Thursday, “A special team has been formed here to investigate the rape allegation against Rahul Meena. We have detained more than half a dozen people for questioning.” According to the officer, Rahul knew the victim and used to play online Ludo with her husband.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections saw strong participation in voting across 234 constituencies, with long queues seen at many polling stations and steady turnout in urban and rural areas.The day saw high-profile voting, with top political leaders, celebrities and first-time voters turning out to vote in large numbers in Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and other districts.TVK chief Vijay had also written a letter to the Election Commission demanding extension of voting time, citing delays and slow pace due to long queues at many booths.In a notable attraction, a robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed at a Chennai polling booth to welcome voters, adding a tech-driven charm to the voting process.Over 5.7 crore voters are deciding the fate of over 4,000 candidates in the triangular contest between the DMK-led alliance, the AIADMK-led NDA and actor Vijay’s TVK, which is set to kick off the polls.

Stable voting in all districts

Polling stations across Tamil Nadu witnessed continuous voting throughout the day, with long queues reported in many areas. Election Commission data indicated that participation has been increasing since the morning, reaching 56.81 per cent by 1 pm, with many districts recording brisk voting activity in urban and rural areas.

Top leaders cast their votes early

Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, TVK chief Vijay and senior leaders including P Chidambaram, Kanimozhi, Anbumani Ramadoss were among the early voters. Stalin urged citizens to participate, saying, “Tamil Nadu will win.”

Star power dominated the voting day

Kollywood celebrities added major visibility to the election process. Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Sivakarthikeyan, Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Dhanush, Vikram, Jeeva, Sasikumar, RJ Balaji, Trisha, Anirudh Ravichander and many others cast their votes in Chennai and other districts. Many actors also encouraged responsible voting and civic participation.

Vijay hints at delay, demands more time for voting

TVK chief Vijay, who is contesting the elections, has written a letter to the Election Commission demanding extension of polling time by two hours, citing long queues and slow voting at many booths in Tamil Nadu. In his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, he said, “There are reports from polling centers that voters are waiting in long queues to cast their votes, but the voting process is slow,” and urged intervention to prevent inconvenience to voters.He also called for better supervision and deployment of designated officers to ensure smooth crowd management and more efficient polling, and said delays could discourage voters from exercising their franchise.

Robot welcomes voters at Vellore booth

A robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed to welcome voters at a polling booth at the Government Muslim Higher Secondary School in Vellore. The initiative attracted attention as it welcomed citizens to come to vote and highlighted a tech-driven approach to voter participation.

Triangular political competition has intensified

The main contest is between the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, while actor Vijay’s TVK is attempting to emerge as the third force in its electoral debut. DMK leader A Raja claimed that the alliance could get more than 200 seats, while opposition leaders expressed confidence of returning to power.

Voting Logistics and Security

The Election Commission deployed central and state forces along with EVM and VVPAT systems at over 75,000 polling stations. With over 3.6 lakh personnel on election duty, special facilities were arranged for elderly voters, first-time voters and persons with disabilities.

Results on 4th May

Voting will end at 6 pm, counting of votes will take place on May 4. The outcome will determine whether the DMK will retain power, the AIADMK will make a comeback, or whether the TVK will disrupt the traditional Dravidian political system in Tamil Nadu.