Rohtak sisters on a spree: Police uncovers 2 videos, 3 incidents and 7 men

A video of two girls in Rohtak beating up their molesters inside a moving bus, even as passengers remained mute spectators, went viral on Monday. The girls have since been praised for their act, called ‘bravehearts’ and are even due to be felicitated on Republic Day by the state chief minister. While the girls’ village is celebrating as Haryana chief minister said the women would be honoured for their “act of bravery” on Republic Day, new questions questions are being raised about who shot the video, the emergence of second video of the two girls kicking another boy, and a case filed by them back in May. The Indian Express reports,

“Aarti, the elder sister, confirmed the incident shown in the second video that was shot inside the HUDA park in Rohtak. However, the 22-year-old refused to comment on the complaint that she and her 19-year-old sister Pooja had filed five months ago against the youths from Sisana village, alleging that they had slapped and manhandled them. Late on Tuesday, police said they were looking at three separate incidents involving the two sisters and a total of seven youths, six of whom are students of Jat College in Rohtak.”

An earlier Express article noted that there has been no sign of the ‘pregnant woman’ to whose aid the two girls reportedly leapt, or any sign of the mysterious videographer. Meanwhile the families of the three youths, who have been arrested and remanded to custody till 6 December, have been insisting s that the three boys have been “falsely implicated”. [caption id=“attachment_1829541” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A screen grab shows the sisters fighting off their assaulters on a bus in Rohtak. Image courtesy: CNN IBN[/caption] Kuldeep’s father, Balbir Singh told Indian Express that there was only an argument over allotted seats, and no molestation. He said that an old woman requested his son to get her a ticket as she was not feeling well. In the bus, the woman found the two girls occupying the seat she had been allotted. “They started arguing, so my son and his friends intervened and told the girls they should allow the woman to be seated. At this, one of the girls hit him on the leg while the other took out her belt. When the boys retaliated, they made videos of it,” Singh said. The residents said they have served an ultimatum on the district administration to release the three boys within 24 hours as they alleged that a false FIR has been registered against the three which should be quashed. However, whatever the reason for the altercation, the video shows the boys violently push the girls and even grab them by the neck. Deepak’s father said that he wasn’t involved in the incident at all. “…He boarded the bus on which the girls as well as the two other boys were travelling. When he saw Kuldeep and Mohit, he waved to them as they are all classmates. The girls already had had an altercation with the two others. So, they thought Deepak was waving to them and started arguing with him,” he said. The Hindustan Times report noted that the three boys who were hoping to join the army, will not be drafted into the forces now. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar made it clear a strong message should be sent that there was no place for such men in the army. Two of the youths had cleared physical and medical tests but according to reports they would not be allowed to take part in further process. Given the confusing evidence that is now emerging, a speedy investigation is both likely and necessary to ensure justice to all sides concerned.