The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Sunday arrested three persons, including prime accused Nishu, in connection with the gangrape of a teenager in Haryana’s Rewari district this past week. Two of the prime accused — Army constable Pankaj and Manish — are still on the run.
Superintendent of Police, Nuh, Nazneen Bhasin, who is the head of the SIT, said Nishu, Deen Dayal and Sanjeev were arrested after 36-hour investigation that involved interrogation of over a hundred people, construction and re-construction of the crime scene and piecing together forensic evidence.
Nishu along with his two accomplices had allegedly abducted, drugged and gang-raped the victim on September 12.
Case files
Ms. Bhasin said Nishu along with his two friends gangraped the teenager and was instrumental in arranging the room for the commission of crime. He also called the quack, Sanjeev, when the victim’s condition deteriorated. Sanjeev and Deen Dayal, the owner of the tubewell room, where the crime took place, were also arrested. Ms. Bhasin said police would seek Sanjeev’s remand.
Deen Dayal was arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy after the technical evidence proved his role in the crime. “Deen Dayal knew as to how the place would be used. The accused had borrowed the key to the room from him the day the crime took place and gangraped the teenager,” she said, adding that Deen Dayal made several revelations during interrogation. He would be produced before the court on Monday along with the other two accused and his remand sought.
Ms. Bhasin said the involvement of more people in the crime could not be ruled out as alleged by the victim, but there was no positive identification so far. She said there were rumours of more such incidents having taken place at the tubewell room, but there was no formal complaint of rape or molestation.
Meanwhile, the Haryana Government has transferred Superintendent of Police, Rewari, Rajesh Duggal, as Commandant, 3rd Battalion. He has been replaced by Superintendent, Security, Rahul Sharma. The Rewari police were under fire for allegedly delaying the transfer of zero FIR in the case to their Mahendergarh counterpart for around 24 hours allowing the accused enough time to flee.
Earlier, the victim’s family threatened to return the ₹2 lakh cheque given to them by the Chief Judicial Magistrate on Saturday, alleging delay in the arrest of the accused.
