Mahila Congress holds protest against Morni gangrape, demands dismissal of Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana

Chandigarh: The Congress’ women wing held a massive protest on Monday strongly condemning the Morni gang rape case in Haryana and demanded dismissal of the Khattar government over its alleged failure to ensure safety and security of women. [caption id=“attachment_2193163” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A file photo of Chandigarh police. Reuters[/caption] The Mahila Congress workers took out a protest march in Panchkula and raised slogans against the BJP government over the rape of a 22-year-old Chandigarh woman by 40 men for four consecutive days at a guest house in Morni area of Haryana’s Panchkula district. They alleged that law and order situation in the state had broken down under the Khattar government. Later, talking to reporters, the chief of Congress’ women wing demanded dismissal of the Khattar government. Sushmita Dev, president of the All India Mahila Congress (AIMC), said the BJP government had failed to check the increasing incidents of gang-rapes and crime against women. Earlier on Monday, Dev led a delegation to Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki and submitted a memorandum to him in the case of alleged gang-rape of a Chandigarh woman in Morni hills area. She later told reporters that the Congress demanded dismissal of the area women police station house officer (SHO) in Panchkula and shifting of the case from Panchkula to Chandigarh as the complainant has stated that she has lost faith in Haryana police. “The chief minister needs to answer why a woman who has been brutally raped wants her case to be transferred to Chandigarh. Doesn’t this reflect the state of affairs which exists in Haryana under this government?,” she asked. Dev also demanded a probe into the alleged flesh trade flourishing in Morni Hills area in Panchkula district allegedly with police connivance. Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also hit out at the Khattar government for failing to ensure the safety and security of the women. “The woman who has been brutally raped is turned away by the police who ask her to register case somewhere else, such a thing is shocking… the crime graph has been on the rise ever since this government came to power. Law and order machinery has completely broken,” Hooda alleged. The police have so far arrested nine accused in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 22-year-old woman from Chandigarh in Morni of Panchkula district. In a complaint lodged with the Chandigarh Police at Manimajra police station on July 19, the woman alleged that she was held captive for four days where the accused took turns to rape her. The guest house manager and another key accused, who was known to the victim’s husband and was instrumental in taking her to the guest house, was among those who have been nabbed. The Chandigarh Police had registered an FIR at Manimajra police station after the woman approached them, amid allegations that the Haryana police had failed to take cognizance of her complaint initially when she approached a women police station in Panchkula. Alleging that they did not have faith in Panchkula police as they had not acted on their complaint initially, the victim and her husband have desired that the case be transferred back to the Chandigarh Police. The Panchkula police had set up a Special Investigation Team under IPS officer Anshu Singla, currently posted as ASP, Panchkula, to probe the gangrape incident. Three police officials, including a woman assistant sub-inspector (ASI), were suspended for negligence and not handling the rape survivor’s complaint properly.