Delhi horror: IRS officer’s daughter dragged to lower floor by ex-help to open safe using fingerprint

Delhi Police have detailed the gruesome sequence of events in the rape and murder of a 22-year-old UPSC aspirant in South Delhi. Investigators revealed on Wednesday that the accused, Rahul Meena, dragged the unconscious victim from her rooftop study to a lower floor in a desperate attempt to use her fingerprints to unlock a biometric safe.

The victim, an IIT graduate and daughter of a senior Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officer, was alone at her home in the Amar Colony area on the morning of April 21, while her parents were at the gym.

#WATCH | Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer’s daughter murder case in Delhi | Delhi Police bring accused Rahul Meena to Delhi’s Saket Court. pic.twitter.com/e1dzWspVTw

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026

A calculated attack

According to police, the 23-year-old accused was a former domestic help who had been fired six weeks back for mishandling money. Having an extra key and knowledge of the family’s security codes, Meena allegedly bypassed the house’s four-layered security system at approximately 6:28 am.

Investigators said that Meena went directly to the victim’s study room on the rooftop. When she resisted his attempt to overpower her, he allegedly struck her with a heavy lamp, rendering her unconscious, before sexually assaulting her.

Read the play-by-play account of the case
here.

The biometric attempt

The most depraved detail emerged during Meena’s interrogation. Police say the accused dragged the unconscious woman down the stairs to the floor where the family’s biometric locker was kept.

Police sources, cited by India Today, said Meena attempted to unlock the biometric safe using the victim’s thumbprint. However, the system failed to recognise the print, likely because the finger was blood-stained or because the victim’s lack of blood circulation.

Meena then reportedly used a screwdriver to force the locker open, stealing approximately Rs 2 lakh in cash and jewellery, per news agency PTI. To evade detection, he changed into the victim’s brother’s clothes and slippers before fleeing the scene around 7:22 am.

A trail of violence

The investigation has uncovered that the Delhi horror was part of a 12-hour crime spree.

Before arriving in the capital, Meena allegedly raped a neighbour in his native village in Alwar, Rajasthan, late on April 21, threatening her life before travelling to Delhi to target his former employers.

Meena was arrested by a task force of 15 police teams at a hotel in Dwarka on Wednesday. He reportedly told investigators he was under financial pressure due to an addiction to online gaming.

A case has been registered under sections for rape, murder, and robbery. While the accused is in custody, the Delhi police are awaiting the final medical examination to confirm the full extent of the assault.