'Quiet person with good behaviour': Family of accused in IRS daughter's rape and murder

Jaipur: A quiet person with good behaviour, who was good in studies — that's how Rahul Meena's family and his relatives at his village in Rajasthan's Alwar district described him.

Meena is accused of raping and murdering the IRS officer's daughter in Delhi and also sexually assaulting one woman in Alwar, all in a span of 24 hours earlier this week.

They even denied the rape allegation and said he "did not have any bad habits except online gaming." Speaking to reporters in Alwar, Meena's mother, who is a homemaker, remarked that her 23-year-old son had "good behaviour" and said she last spoke to her on the night of April 21 before he left to attend a wedding.

"I spoke to him that night, and after that, we could not contact him. The next day, police came and informed us about the incident," she said, adding that the family was unaware of his movements thereafter.

One of his uncles said Rahul was "good in studies" and had secured good marks in graduation.

Denying the rape allegation reported from Rajgarh in Alwar, Meena's sister called it "completely false." She claimed that a financial dispute linked to online gaming may have been the reason for levelling the allegation and behind his visit to the residence of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in Delhi.

She alleged that Meena and Rajgarh rape victim's husband had incurred losses, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 90,000, respectively, while playing an online game, leading to mounting debt and pressure to repay money.

"He had gone to recover money as he was being pressured," she said, adding that he had even pawned his mobile phone for Rs 20,000.

If Meena has done wrong, then he should be punished, the sister added.

Further, villagers said Meena was a quiet person and completed his BA with first division in 2023, but developed an online gambling habit soon after.

According to police, Meena has been accused of raping a woman in Rajasthan's Alwar district on the night of April 21 and, hours later, allegedly committing rape and murder of an IRS officer's daughter at her residence in Delhi.

Investigators said the accused was known to the family in Delhi, where he had earlier worked as a domestic help before being removed from the job.

Meena's maternal uncle had secured this job for him. He was removed when the IRS officer's family learned that he played online games and misappropriated their money.

Police said an FIR has been registered in the Alwar case under sections related to rape, causing hurt and criminal intimidation, and the victim's statement is being recorded.

Sources said Meena allegedly left a wedding midway on the night of April 21 and then committed the crime in Alwar. He was arrested the following night in connection with the Delhi case.

Police had briefly detained some of his family members for questioning, but they have since been released.

Officials said Meena remains in the custody of Delhi Police, and further investigation is underway in both cases, including the circumstances leading to the incidents.