In a state which ranks sixth when it comes to the cases of crimes against women, a 19-year-old girl was gangraped in Haryana’s Mahendragarh district. The incident happened on September 12 when the survivor, who hails from Rewari district, was abducted and drugged by three men. She was later taken to the fields near Jhajjar border where she was allegedly gangraped by a dozen men.
She was later dumped at the same bus stop from where she was abducted. The accused later informed her family who later took her to the hospital, reports The Times of India.
The survivor is CBSE topper and was felicitated by the President of India for her outstanding academic record. The three accused have been identified as Pankaj, Manish and Nishu. Pankaj is a serving Indian Army personnel who is currently posted in Rajasthan.
Haryana: Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrives at the spot of the incident for further investigation of the Rewari gang-rape case. pic.twitter.com/AOourv1IN1
— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2018
On Saturday, Haryana Police appealed to the public to provide information about the accused and also offered a reward of Rs 1 lakh for those helped crack the case. The accused, however, were later identified on the same day. However, according to the survivor’s statement, there was an involvement of around ten men who are yet to be identified.
The girl’s parents have accused the police of negligence. “Those criminals came to our home (and purportedly threatened them to take back the FIR), and still the police could not arrest them. They were busy making us run around to register the FIR,” her mother told the Indian Express. Meanwhile, the survivor is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Rewari. Doctors said that she is recovering from the trauma and her condition is said to be stable.
Haryana DGP BS Sandhu said that an arrest warrant will be issued against the army personnel who was involved in the case. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) (Nuh) Nazneen Bhasin has been also formed to monitor the case.
“We’re issuing warrant against him. Hope arrests will be made by this evening.ADG Rewari will conduct enquiry to see if there was a negligence by the police department,” he told ANI.
#Rewari gang-rape case: Rewari police has released photos of the three accused, Manish (pic 1), Nishu (pic 2) and Pankaj – an Army personnel (pic 3). #Haryana pic.twitter.com/RLbEatFGU5
— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2018
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Cherish Mathson, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command said that the Indian Army will provide all the support needed. “If an army personnel is involved in the crime we will facilitate that the person is caught and booked for rape. We do not shelter criminals,” he said.
