The Rajasthan High Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of rising rape incidents in Bharatpur and Jhalawar districts and issued a notice to the State government seeking reply by May 27.
A Division Bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vinit Kumar Mathur, while expressing concern over an abrupt spurt in such cases, said the administration and the police have miserably failed in taking befitting and timely steps to curb these incidents.
“It appears that the administration and the police have turned incapable. There are the reports of rape one after another in the State. It is a matter of huge concern,” the Bench commented.
Two new cases
Two fresh incidents were reported on Thursday wherein a minor girl was gang-raped in Bharatpur when she was alone at her home, while another woman was raped by seven people when she was out to answer nature’s call in Jhalawar’s Ratlai village.
The police said on Friday that the seven persons have been booked for the 26-year-old woman's rape in Jhalawar district.
Bane Singh, Ghanshyam, Dewan, Mangilal, Durgalal, Pappu and Magilal hail from village Manpura Jagir in Jhalawar district and are yet to be nabbed, they said; the first three are siblings.
Based on the woman’s complaint, the accused were booked under section 376D (gang rape) of Indian Penal Code late Thursday evening.
