Stolen phone, hotel WiFi, Instagram trail: How Delhi Police tracked down IRS officer’s daughter’s killer

In a case that shook South-East Delhi, a combination of old-fashioned policing and sharp digital tracking helped the Delhi Police arrest 23-year-old Rahul Meena, accused of sexually assaulting and killing the daughter of his former employer, an IRS officer.

The breakthrough came through an unlikely trail — a stolen mobile phone, an OYO hotel’s WiFi network, and conversations over Instagram — which ultimately exposed the accused’s location.

A crime followed by a desperate escape

The incident unfolded on April 22, when Meena allegedly committed the crime and fled with ₹2.5 lakh in cash. Within hours, multiple Delhi Police teams fanned out, scanning CCTV footage from outside the victim’s residence and across the surrounding locality.

Investigators quickly began piecing together his movements, tracing leads that stretched beyond Delhi.

The Rajasthan link and a second crime

A parallel probe in Rajasthan’s Alwar revealed a disturbing sequence of events. Meena had attended a wedding there on Tuesday with a friend. During the visit, he allegedly left abruptly citing urgent family work.

Later, he returned to the same friend’s house — where he allegedly raped the friend’s wife before fleeing again. Before leaving, he stole a mobile phone with a dual SIM card from the house.

Police in Alwar have registered a separate rape case in connection with the incident.

Sold phones and a missing link

Meanwhile, a Delhi Police team reached Rajgarh and questioned Meena’s uncle. He disclosed that Meena had handed over three mobile phones — belonging to himself, his brother and a friend — which were then sold at a local shop.

Police recovered all three devices. One was sold for ₹10,000, while the other two fetched ₹3,000 each.

However, investigators realized Meena was still active — and likely using another device.

Digital footprints crack the case

According to sources, Meena needed a phone after the earlier devices were sold. The stolen handset from Alwar became the key to tracking him.

He reportedly disabled calling services on one SIM card while using its internet connection to power the second SIM. This allowed him to stay online without being easily traced through conventional call records.

Police obtained Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDR) and discovered that the phone was being used via a WiFi connection. Crucially, Meena was in constant touch with his cousin in Gurgaon through Instagram Messenger.

This digital trail proved decisive.

Hotel stay leads to arrest

Acting swiftly, police first detained the cousin. Technical surveillance then led them to a hotel in Dwarka, where Meena had checked in around 10 am using a private cab.

Officers moved in and arrested him, bringing an end to a multi-state manhunt.

Reconstructing the final movements

Investigators revealed that Meena had reached South Delhi on Wednesday morning in an Eeco van — typically used as an ambulance by a private hospital in Rajgarh. He had hired the vehicle for ₹6,000.

On reaching the city, he reportedly got off under the pretext of locating an address and fled without paying the driver. From there, he walked to the victim’s residence, where the crime was later committed.

The case underscores how even fragmented digital clues — a WiFi login, an online chat, a discarded phone — can converge to crack complex crimes, while also revealing the chilling calculation behind a brutal act.