Three truck drivers on Saturday claimed they saw women being sexually assaulted by Jat agitators during their reservation protests in Murthal, Haryana. The three men said they saw the attackers “drag women out of vehicles, tear their clothes and molest them” before taking them towards the fields. They also alleged that the agitators set their trucks on fire in Murthal and that policemen in plain clothes were putting pressure on them to not report the incidents, PTI reported.
The revelation comes after a team of policewomen on Saturday visited the site of the alleged gangrapes and said no victim or witness had come forward yet. Deputy Inspector General Dr Rajshree Singh, who headed the team, said the clothes recovered from the location were sent for forensic tests. She also urged the three truck drivers to approach the police “without any fear” with any information they may have. “We will protect them, and their identity will not be disclosed,” she said.
Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said on Saturday that a team of officials of the National Commission for Women did not find any substantial evidence on their visit to Murthal to verify the reports. The Punjab and Haryana High Court took notice of an article published by The Tribune last week that reported the incidents and observed that the “country’s premier investigation agency” should look into the allegations.
Moreover, it was found that the phone number provided on Friday to contact the deputy inspector general regarding the incident was incorrect. A resident of Indore has been receiving calls since Director General of Police YP Singhal shared three numbers to urge victims and witnesses to come forward with details regarding the alleged gangrapes.
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