The Special Investigative Team (SIT) arrested on Sunday one of the main accused in the gang rape of a 19-year-old girl in Haryana’s Rewari.
In a press briefing, Nuh SP Naazneen Bhasin said that main accused Nishu has been caught and is being brought before the police in Rewari.
“The main accused Nishu has been nabbed, he is on his way,” said SP Bhasin.
Referring to a doctor who was arrested in connection with the case, the SP said that Nishu had pre-planned the crime and called the doctor to the spot later.
The senior cop said that an Army man, who, too, is one of the three main accused, is absconding but assured that he will be arrested soon.
Commenting on the arrest of a doctor in the case, the SP said, “Dr Sanjeev’s involvement is proved as it was in his knowledge that the girl was held by three boys and she was not conscious about the things happening. He was part of the plan till the end and he didn’t inform any authority.”
The SP said that Deen Dayal, the owner of the property, where the crime happened, “knew for which activity his place was about to be used”.
“On basis of mobile forensics, it’s proved that Nishu contacted him to inform that they need a room. It was all pre-planned,” the officer said.
Rewari SP transferred
The Haryana government on Sunday shunted out Rewari’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Duggal and replaced him with Rahul Sharma as the failure in arrest of the accused in the horrific gang rape of a 19-year-old girl continued to embarrass Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
CM Khattar speaks to DGP
On Sunday, the CM reviewed the progress in investigation with DGP BS Sandhu at the CMO in Chandigarh after cutting short a scheduled event in Jalandhar in Punjab. He reportedly told Sandhu to arrest the accused in the case as soon as possible.
“CM called me and discussed this heinous crime. I briefed him about the whole incident, the investigation done by police and the action taken. On part of inaction by local police, CM has transferred Rewari SP,” Sandhu was quoted as saying by ANI.
The DGP confirmed that the police have made two arrests and are working on the information provided by the two.
One of those arrested is the owner of the property where the girl was found. The second is a registered medical practitioner who attended to the woman.
The police said that the owner of the property gave the keys of the room to the accused youth where they committed the crime on 12 September. The police claimed the owner knew about the crime, but did not report it.
According to the police, the doctor was called by the accused when the condition of the victim deteriorated. The police said that the medical practitioner did not inform the police though he knew that the victim was sexually assaulted. The doctor has claimed that he was threatened by the accused.
Victim’s family refuses to accept compensation
In a related development on Sunday, the family of the gang-rape victim rejected the compensation cheque of Rs 2 lakh sent by the Haryana government.
“Is this the value that the Haryana government has calculated for the gruesome crime committed on my daughter? We reject the compensation offered. We want justice for our daughter,” the mother of the victim said in Rewari.
The victim’s family members told reporters in Mahendragarh’s Rewari that she was in “acute trauma”.
“The accused should be hanged,” the woman’s mother demanded.
The victim’s family had alleged that police had failed to take prompt action on their complaint and delayed action by citing jurisdiction issue between police units of Rewari and Mahendergarh districts.
Police had on Saturday released photographs and names of the accused – Pankaj, Manish and Nishu. The victim had identified the three attackers but her family says that there could be more.
The Haryana police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of the accused.
Indian Army on accused army man
On Saturday the Indian Army said that it will help in the investigations related to the gang rape.
Speaking to reporters, Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command, said that the Army will not shelter criminals in the force.
Read More: We do not shelter criminals, says Army
“If an army man is involved in the crime we will facilitate that the person is caught and booked for rape. We do not shelter criminals,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
Opposition slams Haryana government
Meanwhile, Opposition parties in the state have demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda met the victim’s family on Sunday.
Hooda had previously said that there has been a complete breakdown of the law and order situation in Haryana under the current government. He demanded resignation of CM Khattar on moral grounds for the state’s alleged failure to protect its daughters.