JOIN USA 19-year old girl, who topped Haryana region in the CBSE Class X examination a couple of years ago, was gang-raped in Mahindergarh district while she was on her way to a coaching centre.
The father of the girl said she was drugged and could have been raped by eight to 10 men. The incident happened two days ago.
The victim, a school topper who was felicitated by the government, had also received an award from the president, it is learnt.
The family says it has been running from pillar to post, seeking the arrest of the culprits. The victim has disclosed the identity of three men, but no arrest has been made so far.
According to the complaint, the girl was picked up by two youths in a car from the bus stand. She was then taken to a place in Mahindergarh district where she was given a drink laced with sedatives. She was then gang-raped in the fields.
The police earlier cited jurisdiction and registered a ‘zero FIR’ in Rewari. The next day, the case was transferred to Kanini police station in Mahindergarh. Sources said a special investigation team has been constituted to nab the accused. Additional director general of police A S Chawla said all the culprits will be arrested at the earliest.
The suspects, who were stated to be in the age group of 20-25 years, belong to the same village as the victim.
The girl’s mother hit out at the police for failing to take action and said her daughter was traumatised as the accused “were roaming freely”.
“The government talks about Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao... but is this the price we have to pay for getting our daughters educated? The accused are roaming freely but the police have failed to nab them,” she told reporters in her village in Rewari district.
“She has named three accused, but when the horrific incident took place, she sensed that 8-10 people could have been there,” the victim’s father said, noting that she was drugged by the men.
“We are conducting raids and hope to make arrests soon,” Mahendergarh Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar said.
The incident evoked sharp reaction from the Opposition, with former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleging a breakdown of law and order. He demanded Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's resignation on moral grounds.
Meanwhile, the victim was admitted to a hospital in Rewari after she complained of pain in the abdomen. “Her vitals are stable, though she appears to be tense. We will also seek a psychiatric opinion,” a doctor said.
The girl's father said she was finding it difficult to pass urine after the sexual assault.