The Haryana Police on Saturday said the medical examination of a 19-year-old woman, who three men allegedly raped in the state’s Mahendragarh district on Thursday, has confirmed that she was sexually assaulted, ANI reported.
The main accused is a serving defence employee, the police said, according to The New Indian Express. The police have formed a special investigation team to conduct inquiries.
Haryana Director General of Police BS Sandhu said the police were working on getting a warrant to arrest the main accused. “The other two accused will be nabbed soon,” he added.
Nuh Superintendent of Police Naazneen Bhasin is leading the investigation into the rape of the teenager, who had topped the Central Board of Secondary Education’s board examinations. Bhasin visited the complainant at Rewari District Hospital on Saturday morning. “I have spoken to the victim today, her condition is stable,” she told reporters. “I appeal to the people for any information they have about the case and I have also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for those who help us crack the case.”
Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command said that the Army does not shelter criminals, reported ANI. “If an army personnel is involved in the crime, we will facilitate that the person is caught and booked for rape,” he said.
The hospital’s Medical Superintendent Sudarshan Pawar said the woman’s ultrasound and X-ray reports are normal, ANI reported. “We will continue to review her condition regularly,” he added.
The woman’s father told reporters that while she has named three people in the complaint, around eight to 10 people may have sexually assaulted her.
The complainant’s mother accused the police and state government of not acting on their complaint. “The government talks about ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ but is this the price we have to pay for getting our daughters educated?” she asked. “The accused are roaming freely but police has failed to nab them. We were made to run from pillar to post before our complaint was taken. The FIR was registered at 1 am as the police kept citing jurisdiction issues, making us shuttle between Rewari and Kanina.”
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claimed law and order in the state has broken down and demanded the resignation of incumbent Manohar Lal Khattar for “failing to protect women”. Khattar has assured strict action against the accused.
Haryana Women’s Commission Chairperson Pratibha Suman, who visited the complainant on Friday, demanded that the police provide security to her and her family. Suman said she has asked the state police to submit their investigation report to the commission, the Hindustan Times reported. The National Commission for Women too has written to the director general of police, seeking updates on the case.
Meanwhile, Uchana Kalan MLA Premlata Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party said unemployed youth “get frustrated and commit crimes such as rapes”, ANI reported.
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