New Delhi: Under attack over alleged mishandling of the rape and murder case of a mentally challenged woman from Nepal, Haryana police on Monday arrested eight youths and promised action in case of any lapse by its personnel.
Sources said the ninth accused in the case had allegedly committed suicide today by consuming poison. He had been admitted in Delhi's Maharsi Balmiki hospital, where he succumbed to death.
The remaining eight have confessed to their crime, according to DGP Yashpal Singhal, who visited the crime spot.
He said, “Accused are in their twenties and appear to be criminals”.
The arrested accused includes a Nepalese who has been identified as Santosh, Singhal said.
Other accused arrested in the case were identified as Rajesh alias Ghuchadu, Sunil alias Sheela, Sarvar alias Billu, Manbir, Sunil alias Madha, Pawan, Parmod alias Padam, he said.
Haryana police was under attack over its handling of the incident, while announcing the arrests claimed that the case has been “cracked”.
Asked how the victim reached Bahu Akbarpur village, where her body was found at a spot 18 km from her home in Rohtak, police said their investigation had revealed that she “voluntary” left her sister's residence.
Haryana Chief Minister on Rohtak gangrape:
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who was monitoring the case, said, “Though it took police nine days to round up the accused, yet it was a major achievement as it was a blind case. The police acted promptly into the incident.”
“There was no laxity on part of the police to solve this case”, he added.
Congress attacks BJP government over Rohtak Gangrape case:
The Opposition Congress used the incident to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state on the law and order situation, saying it was “yet to wake up from the slumber”, and demanded reconstitution of the SIT under an IG level officer to go into the horrific incident.
The 28-year-old woman's naked body was found in a field near the highway in Rohtak, half eaten by animals and with key organs missing. The police said objects had been inserted into her; sticks, stones and condoms were stuffed into her private parts.
The brutality and savagery given to the Nepalese woman has spurred comparisons to the 2012 gang-rape and torture of a young medical student in a moving bus, which led to a massive public outcry and tougher laws to deter rapists.
The victim had been residing with her sister for the past three months and was undergoing treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here.
The victim's sister had lodged a complaint with police on February 1 and on February 4 the woman's body was found from the fields in Akbarpur village with several injury marks on it, Rohtak Superintendent of Police Shashank Anand had said.
Meanwhile, activists of different social organisations, including Nepalese, met the Deputy Commissioner here seeking justice for the family members of the victim.
The activists took to streets to lodge their protests and also held a candle light march and staged dharnas here seeking justice for the family of the deceased woman.
