Haryana rape: Given tip-off but cops say on CM duty

The Haryana Police reportedly did not respond to a vital tip-off given by villagers informing them about the location of the accused in the gang-rape a 19-year-old girl.

The former village sarpanch, who called up the police to give the information, was told that the police could not arrest the accused because of staff shortage.

He was told that the police force had been deployed for an event that was attended by Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar and they would send teams to arrest the accused once the force returns after the function.

Had the police responded on time, perhaps the accused would have been behind the bars.

Meanwhile, one of the accused in the case is a serving Army Jawan who had come on leave from his unit in Kota, Rajasthan.

The accused has been identified as Pankaj Fauji.

The Army said it will facilitate Pankaj's arrest. The police teams have been sent to his unit to know about his whereabouts.

Pankaj was among the three men the girl has identified.

The police said after the arrest of the accused, which has not taken place even after three days of the incident till filing of the story, will establish the other number of accused involved in the case.

The girl's family said there were about 12 people who gang-raped the girl.

A reward of Rs 1 lakh for any tip-off on the accused has been announced.

The victim was gang-raped in Haryana’s Mahindergarh while she was going to a coaching center.

The victim had also received an award by the President in 2016 and was the Class X topper.

She was kidnapped, drugged and then raped in the fields.

The police earlier cited jurisdiction and registered a ‘zero FIR’ in Riwari.

The next day the case was transferred to Kanini police station in Mahindergarh.