The man killed the auto driver after trying to rob him in Delhi, police said. (Representational)
A man who was freed by the Supreme Court in a rape-murder case nearly three months ago has been arrested again for allegedly killing an auto driver in Delhi.
Vinod was among three men sentenced to death for the rape, torture and killing of a 19-year-old woman in 2012, but was freed by the Supreme Court in November last year. The court said the prosecution "failed to prove their case" against the men and gave them "the benefit of the doubt".
He and his accomplice killed the auto driver after trying to rob him in Dwarka Sector-13 on January 26. The accused first sat in his auto and then slit his throat, said police.
Police first arrested Pawan, the accomplice, after scanning the security footage around the area. Pawan's questioning led them to Vinod. "Pawan said he did not know that Vinod was an accused in the Chhawla gang-rape case," the police said.
Vinod was arrested on January 29.
The three men were accused of kidnapping, gang-raping and brutally killing the 19-year-old woman in February 2012. Her mutilated body was found three days after she was kidnapped. They were given a death sentence in 2014 by a trial court which termed the case as "rarest of rare".
On November 7, the Supreme Court acquitted the three men by setting aside the Delhi High Court's August 26, 2014 order upholding the death sentence awarded by the trial court.