Haryana gang rape: one of three prime accused held; two on the run

Chandigarh: Haryana Police arrested Sunday three men, including one of the prime accused, in connection with the alleged gang rape of a young woman from Rewari, officials said. Raids continued across several states to nab the two other key accused, including an Army man, even as the state government cracked the whip and moved out the district police chief.

One of the three key accused, identified as Nishu, was arrested, Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief and Mewat SP, Nazneen Bhasin told reporters in Rewari. A hunt is on to nab the two other key accused – Pankaj, an Army man, and Manish, officials said.

Earlier, DGP B S Sandhu, who met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to apprise him of the progress in the case, said the two other men arrested were Dr. Sanjeev, who first attended to the woman following the crime, and Deendayal on whose property she was allegedly raped.

The 19-year-old woman, a school topper hailing from Rewari who was even felicitated by the government, was abducted from a bus stop in Kanina town in neighbouring Mahendragarh district on Wednesday when on way to a coaching class, police said. She was allegedly drugged and gang-raped at a room adjoining a tubewell in a field, they said.

Khattar, who had an event scheduled in Jalandhar in Punjab, cut short his visit and reached Chandigarh this afternoon, officials said. Khattar summoned the Director General of Police (DGP) to review progress in the investigation. The chief minister directed DGP Sandhu to ensure arrest of all the accused at the earliest, they said. Rewari Superintendent of Police Rajesh Duggal, who was accused of failing to ensure prompt action, was moved out and will be replaced by SP, chief minister’s security, Rahul Sharma, officials said.

Duggal will now lead a battalion of the Haryana Armed Police (HAP) in Hisar, they said. The owner of the property where the crime took place, Deendayal, who was among those arrested, told police that the three key accused had taken the key to the room from him on the day of the incident.

The police alleged Deendayal may have known about the crime, but did not report it. Meanwhile, raids continued in Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and other states to nab the two absconding key accused, a senior official, part of the investigation, said.