Under fire from various quarters for deteriorating law and order situation in the state, Haryana Government on Monday said that the hearing of the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old dalit woman in Sonipat will be conducted in a fast-track court.
Speaking on the recent cases of rape reported from Rohtak and Gurgaon, Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar in New Delhi said that “speedy justice will be ensured” via fast track courts.
“Culprits involved in such ghastly acts won’t be spared. Such kind of heinous crimes would not be tolerated at any cost in a civilised society and the guilty would be punished," said Manohar lal, whose government is under severe criticism for increasing crime rate against women.
The decomposed and mutilated body of a 23 years old girl, who went missing from Sonipat on May 9 and was gang-raped and brutally murdered, was found near the Industrial Model Township in Urban Estate, Rohtak, on May 11.
The sheer brutality of the crime, reminiscent of the 'Nirbhaya' incident in Delhi, which triggered nation-wide outrage, occurred barely a month after the BJP-led Haryana government launched 'Operation Durga' to stop harassment of women.
Two persons, including the main accused Sumit, who is also a dalit, have been arrested by the Haryana Police which has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.
A Haryana District Court on Monday sent the two accused in seven days of police remand. The accused will be produced before the Sonipat District court next on May 22.
Police said the family of the victim has suspected the involvement of six more persons, out of whom five are related to the main accused. The kin of the victim have also alleged that they had approached the Sonipat police about a month back with a complaint that main accused was harassing their daughter, but there was no action.
The Chief Minister also promised strict action against those involved in the alleged rape of a 22-year-old woman at Gurgaon in the state. The woman from Sikkim was allegedly raped by three men in a moving car and thrown out on a road in Delhi on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the opposition –Congress and Indian National lok Dal—have alleged that there is a complete breakdown of law order in Haryana and also, called for strict action against gangrape perpetrators.
A day before, the politicians had made a beeline to the family house of the Sonipat girl who was gang-raped and murdered. From the Congress, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda and state unit chief Ashok Tanwar met the family in Sonipat while from the incumbent party, Woman and Child Development Minister and local MlA Kavita Jain, Sonipat MP Ramesh Kaushik and state president Subhash Barala met the family members.
The State Government had also announced financial assistance of Rs 10.50 lakh for the kin of the victim, who belonged to village Kalupur, district Sonepat.
While the opposition continued its tirade against the Haryana Government on Monday saying that the BJP Government has failed to keep a check on increasing crime rate in the state, the Cabinet Ministers also hit back at the opposition.
Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar lashed out at the State Government saying, on one hand, government is implementing ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, and on the other hand, it has failed to protect the daughters in the state. leader of the opposition and INlD’s senior leader, Abhay Singh Chautala expressing concern on the law and order situation in the state said that the government has failed to ensure the women safety in the state.
The Minister of State for Cooperation, Manish Kumar Grover, while defending the State Government said that Haryana Police had already made some arrests in the Rohtak gang-rape case, and the other accused would soon be nabbed while Health Minister Anil Vij said the government is doing its work but the opposition has nothing to do except criticism.