3 more arrested in Ludhiana gangrape case

Ludhiana, February 14

Three more persons, including a juvenile, were held on Thursday in connection with the gangrape of a 21-year-old woman near Issewal village here, taking the total number of those nabbed in the case to six, police said.

“All six accused involved in the gangrape have been arrested,” Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta told the media here Thursday.

Of the three held on Thursday, one is a juvenile studying in class 11, the DGP said, adding that he was nabbed from New Basti Changran in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The other two accused, Saif Ali and Ajay alias Lalan, both residents of Tibba village in Punjab’s Kapurthala district, were arrested in Talwandi Naubad village here, he said.

Sadiq Ali, Jagroop Singh alias Rupi, and Surmo are the three accused arrested earlier. A Ludhiana court on Wednesday remanded them for seven days in police custody.

The DGP said all the accused are either friends or relatives of the woman.

The probe would be completed within seven days and police would try to put the case before a fast track court, he said.

The DGP further said the woman’s medical report confirmed rape and sexual assault.

The woman was gangraped last Saturday near Issewal village on the banks of Sidwan canal, about 15 km from Ludhiana, after the car she was travelling in with her friend was stopped and she was dragged out.

The incident rocked the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday with opposition Aam Aadmi Party and Lok Insaaf Party trying to corner the Congress government over “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told the House he will take up the matter with the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High court for ensuring speedy justice. — PTI