Delhi woman alleges gang-rape in Murthal; Haryana police file FIR

CHANDIGARH: A ''gang-rape victim'' from Narela in Delhi today appeared before the SIT constituted to probe the cases of sexual assault in Murthal on NH-1 during the Jat agitation. The woman recorded her statement on camera, alleging that she had been raped by seven men after being dragged out of a van, in which she was travelling with her daughter.

Cars set ablaze during the Jat agitation on NH-1 near Murthal in Sonepat district of Haryana. — Tribune file photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28

A 'gang-rape victim' from Narela in Delhi today appeared before the SIT constituted to probe the cases of sexual assault in Murthal on NH-1 during the Jat agitation.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had already taken a suo motu cognisance of The Tribune report.

The woman recorded her statement on camera, alleging that she had been raped by seven men after being dragged out of a van, in which she was travelling with her daughter. She told the police that she can identify all the seven accused. Further, the victim told the SIT that her daughter was molested, her clothes torn, but she was not raped.

An FIR has been registered in the Sonepat women police station.

Giving details, DIG Rajshree Singh said today around 11 am a 35-year-old woman, who had spoken to her yesterday, came to the police station and recorded her statement voluntarily.

One of the seven accused is the victim’s brother-in-law and there appears to be some property dispute between them as well, the DIG said.

“I got a call on my mobile phone yesterday from a woman that she wanted to meet me,” the DIG told the media. The victim today met the members of SIT and informed that she was gang-raped near Murthal during the night of February 22-23.

The complainant was on way to Narela in Delhi from Haridwar.

“From Haridwar, she took a van to reach Panipat, but the vehicle developed a snag near Panipat. From there, she boarded another unidentified vehicle in which some other women were also travelling. When they reached near Murthal, she was pulled out by some persons near a big building on the right side,” said DSP Bharti Dabas, a member of the SIT.

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Earlier, taking a suo motu notice of The Tribune report ‘Women commuters ‘violated’ by highway goons’, Justice Naresh Kumar Sanghi of the High Court had said the incident required probe by the “premier investigating agency”. The Haryana Human Rights Commission, too, had taken cognisance.

The Haryana government had constituted a three-member team to gather information on the alleged sexual assault of women commuters on NH-1 near Murthal in the wee hours of February 22.

“The investigating committee is being headed by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Rajshree Singh with DSPs Bharti Dabas (8053882302) and Surinder Kaur (9729990760) as members. They will remain in Sonepat till further orders. Anyone can provide them information on the incident, be it in the form of photos, an audio or a video clip. The identity of the informer will not be revealed," the DGP YP Singhal had said.