Under fire from various quarters for failing to nab gang rape accused in Rohtak, Haryana Police on Tuesday claimed that three persons have been arrested in connection with the case of alleged gangrape of a 21-year-old Dalit woman.
“The victim, a college student, was allegedly raped by five persons in Rohtak district on July 13. This is said to be a repeat offence on the woman with two of the accused also involved in the first case of gangrape three years ago in Bhiwani,” said Haryana DGP KP Singh while talking to the mediapersons on Tuesday.
In the latest incident, two of the accused in the Bhiwani case, who are out on bail, allegedly raped her again, along with three other men.
The arrests were made after social organisations and political parties raised voice against the increasing cases of rapes and gangrapes in the state and poor functioning of the state police.
“The Police has so far arrested three persons. One more who has been named (as an accused) will be arrested soon. As for the fifth accused, his address is not complete. As soon as we ascertain the address, we will apprehend him," said the DGP, adding that stringent action will be taken against the accused as per law.
Singh said doctors of a Rohtak hospital, where the woman is admitted, have not ruled out the possibility of rape.
He said, “The Police is treating it as a case of gang rape as per the woman's statement. We will arrest all the accused, get her statement recorded under section 164 CrPC and submit the challan before the court. She is yet to give her statement to the magistrate.”
Asked about some of the accused reportedly producing CCTV footage to show they were not in Rohtak on the day of the incident, the DGP said, “At the moment, we are investigating the case as that of a gangrape.”
The DGP also confirmed that the victim has lodged a police complaint regarding the incident. Based on her complaint, the police registered an FIR against accused namely Amit, Jagmohan, Mausam, Sandeep and Akash.
“The victim was found by the police at Sukhpora Chowk in an inebriated state on July 13 in Rohtak. In her statement, she said she was gangraped by five persons who have been named in the FIR,” informed the DGP.
Police lodged a case, took her to PGIMS Rohtak, recorded her statement and got her medically examined,” said he, adding that the police had immediately launched raids and inspected the scene of crime. Talking about the earlier rape case in Bhiwani in 2013, Singh said the victim had first alleged that she was kidnapped by five boys who took her to Chandigarh.
A case was lodged, the accused were taken into custody but at the time of recording her statement under section 164, CrPC, the victim told the magistrate that she had willingly gone to Chandigarh with the boys, he said.
“A few days later, she approached the police saying she wanted to get her statement recorded under section 164, CrPC again,” said the DGP, adding that in the second statement before the magistrate, she alleged gangrape by five persons .
At that time, the police took cognizance, arrested two persons and submitted challans against them but could not find enough evidence against the rest of the three accused, he added.