Rohtak: Horrific rape brings back memories of Delhi gangrape, protesters accuse cops of inaction

Chandigarh: The gangrape and brutal murder of a mentally challenged woman in Rohtak, reminding the nation of the gruesome Delhi gangrape case in Delhi in December 2012, has again brought into focus the issue of safety and security of women in the country. Despite all the protests over the Delhi case, nothing much seems to have changed on the ground. The Haryana police have so far failed to find any clue to the rapists despite forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The 28-years-old woman of Nepalese origin had gone missing from her house on 1 February. On 4 February, her body, with several injury marks, was found in the fields of Bahu Akbarpur village, 10 kms from Rohtak. Unidentified men had raped and brutalised the woman who was under psychiatric treatment. Many key organs were missing from body. Sticks, stones, blades and condoms had been stuffed into her private parts. According to reports, Dr SK Dhatterwal, head of Forensic Medicines department at PGIMs, Rohtak, who has conducted over 30,000 autopsies in his career, found this case most brutal. “Her face was eaten by animals; her heart and lungs and heart were found missing. Also her skull had fractures and there were deep injury marks on her thighs and chest,” he was quoted as saying in media reports. The deceased had been residing with her elder sister for the past three months and was undergoing treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak. According to family members of the dead woman, she might have been kidnapped, raped and killed after she went missing on 1 February. They claimed that they reported the matter to the police the same day. If the police had made a serious effort to trace the woman immediately, she might have been alive today. According to them the police did not cooperate with them in locating the missing woman who belonged to a labourer’s family. It was only after four days on 4 February when the police contacted the family to give the news of her murder. The victim’s viscera samples have been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory of the Haryana Police in Madhuban, Karnal for examination. Rohtak SP, Shashank Anand, who is supervising the rape and murder case, said the Haryana police had sent viscera of the deceased woman to Forensic Science Laboratory in Madhuban, Karnal for examination. The reports of the viscera were still awaited, he said. [caption id=“attachment_2087543” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Screenshot from IBN-Live.[/caption] The Haryana police have constituted seven sub-teams to help the SIT to investigate the rape-cum -ghastly murder case of Rohtak district, he said. Anand denied the report that the police had not taken any action in the case. FIR had been lodged in the case the same day, said the SP. “The Haryana police has also instituted an award of Rs 1 lakh for the person who provides any information about the culprits,” said Rohtak SP Shashank Anand. According to DSP Amit Bhatia who is the head of the SIT probing the case, the police have activated its cyber cell for a breakthrough in the case. They intend to trace mobile phone users who were active near the scene of the crime. Several people have been rounded up for questioning, he said. Haryana ADGP Law and Order, Mohammad Akil, who visited the spot, along with Vivek Sharma, DIG, State Crime Branch, said the police was thoroughly examining the case. “Criminals who were involved in similar cases before are also being questioned. The case will be cracked soon and all the criminals will be arrested at the earliest,” said Mohammad Akil. According to sources, four suspects in the heinous crime are already under police watch. Meanwhile, there has been an all round condemnation of the ghastly incident from across the country. On Sunday, the Mool Pravaha Akhil Bhart Nepali Ekta Samaj and Pravasi Nepali Sangh Bharat held a protest march in Rohtak. They were supported by the Left parties. The protesters also created a jam on the Rohtak-Delhi road, demanding immediate arrest of the criminals. A candle march was also organised in Rohtak on Sunday. On Saturday, State Women’s Commission Chairperson Kamalesh Panchal and Vice Chairperson Suman Dahiya along with MP of Rohtak, Deepender Singh Hooda met the relatives of the victim separately in Rohtak. “This is a horrendous crime committed against a woman. The State Women’s Commission will recommend death as penalty,’’ Panchal assured the family of the victim. The Commission also took a serious note of the allegation by the family members that the police had not been as active in investigating the case as it should have been. Both Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and his father, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda have condemned the incident and accused the state government of failing to curb lawlessness in the state. Randeep Singh Surjewala, spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee also condemned the incident. “The Rohtak rape and murder case is even more gruesome than the infamous Delhi gangrape case. It is an insult to the Haryana government. Neither the Haryana chief minister, nor any senior minister has come to visit the family of the diseased till date. No financial or emotional help has been extended to the victim’s family,” he told Firstpost. “The medical report suggests not only rape of the victim, but extreme beastly behaviour. The BJP government and the Haryana CM must awake from the deep slumber and immediately reconstitute the SIT headed by an officer of the rank of IG or above. The CM must himself monitor the investigation to ensure that not only the guilty are arrested, but are tried by a special court. It is unfortunate that people who look for photo opportunities in ‘Beti Bachao programme’, do very little to prevent crime against our own daughters and women,” he added. Social activist Khushwant Singh said it is sad to see women becoming victims of rape and murder in the state. “The culprits must be given the strongest possible punishment under the law to deter other rapists from committing such crimes in future, said Khushwant Singh, while speaking to Firstpost. Khap leader Dr Santosh Dahiya, also condemned the incident, saying it was a crime against humanity.