Rewari rape accused had ‘assaulted 2 others’

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Rewari, September 28

The three men accused of abducting and raping a 19-year-old Rewari college girl on September 12 had earlier assaulted two other women, but went unpunished each time, with the panchayat “resolving” the matter on its own, it is learnt.

One of the rape survivors reportedly got electrocuted two days after she was sexually assaulted. Women in the village insisted it was honour killing. She belonged to Naya Gaon Bangya, merely 500 metres away from Naya Gaon. 

“Accused Pankaj, Manish and Nishu Phogat would unashamedly introduce themselves as ‘Gang Bang Gang’. Almost a week before the Rewari incident, they raped a Dalit, abducting her from school. Fatherless, she could do nothing, with the panchayat members coercing her uncle to accept money as compensation,” alleged Sunita Devi and some other women, one of them an aunt of accused Nishu.

“The gang would harass every single girl in the village. But, as per the norms set by menfolk, nobody ever goes to the police. The panchayat strikes a ‘raazinama’ and all is forgotten. When the SIT visited our village, we narrated both incidents to the members,” said an elderly woman. 

“Yes the two instances were brought to our notice. Subsequently, we issued an appeal that victims should come forward and lodge a complaint, promising immediate action. Nobody has approached us with any complaint or information so far,” said Rahul Sharma, the Rewari Superintendent of Police.

Sarpanch Sarita Devi’s husband Amit denied knowledge of any such happening. A policeman at the Kosli police station said they had called the family members of the “victim” schoolgirl for a statement. “They told us nothing had happened and that it was a petty fight among families which had been sorted out,” he said. 

Nazneen Bhasin, the SIT in-charge, did not respond to calls and messages on her mobile. But Inspector Naresh Kumar, a member of her team, said: “Some women did make allegations. But we have received no written complaint or statement on any of the incidents mentioned by them.” The SIT was constituted on September 15. The team comprised DSP Satender Dahiya from Narnaul; DSP Satpal Yadav (Rewari), Sub-inspector Vidyasagar from the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), Rewari; Inspector Naresh (Nuh); Inspector Ved (CIA, Nuh); Inspector Anil (Nuh); Inspector Sohanpal from the prosecution cell, Nuh; and ASI Suresh from the cyber cell, Nuh.