SIT makes first arrest in Haryana topper gangrape case

The arrested person has been identified as Dindayal of Kanina.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the gang rape of a CBSE topper in Haryana’s Rewari made its first arrest in the case on Sunday, picking up the owner of the borewell store-room where the crime was committed but the three main accused were still eluding the police four days after the crime.

Haryana Police on Saturday released the photographs of the three accused, including that of a soldier, and announced Rs 1 lakh reward for information on the accused.(Manoj Dhaka/HindustanTimes)

In a press release, SIT in-charge, Nuh superintendent of police Naazneen Bhasin said Din Dayal had helped the accused - serving soldier Pankaj, Manish and Nishu - by providing the keys of the store-room where the three allegedly raped the 20-year-old student.

She said police teams are working round the clock and also conducting raids in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan to apprehend the accused.

“With the arrest of the first accused identified as Din Dayal, we have also got many important clues about the main accused. The teams also got so many important clues about the whereabouts of the prime accused and soon they will be arrested. The police will produce the first arrested accused before the court and will try to take his police remand to know more into the matter,” Bhasin said in the statement.

Bhasin also told the media in Rewari that the rape of the young woman had been confirmed in the medical examination, reported IANS.

 

Sources also said that the police had also questioned a registered medical practitioner who was called by one of the accused so he could check the condition of the victim after she was drugged by the accused, but did not inform the police.

Police were questioning relatives, friends and fellow villagers of the accused to know their whereabouts.

In a related development, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar transferred Rewari’s superintendent of police Rajesh Duggal and posted Rahul Sharma in his place. Sharma, who was in chief minister’s security, swaps places with Duggal.

Talking to ANI, Khattar said, “Three accused have been identified. It’s unfortunate they (accused and victim) knew each other. It’s even more unfortunate that one accused is an army personnel. Search is underway. We have announced reward of Rs 1 lakh on their head. They will be nabbed soon.”

The 20-year-old woman, who is a former CBSE Class 10 topper of her village in Rewari district, was allegedly abducted and gang raped by three when she was going to her coaching centre in Kanina town of district Mahendragarh on September 12.

She said they gave her water to drink which was laced with a sedative. They then took turns raping her in a room adjoining agricultural fields till she fell unconscious.They later dumped her at a bus stop near the village.

The Haryana police formed the SIT under Bhasin to investigate the case. Additional director general of police Shrikant Jadhav is also monitoring the SIT’s progress in the case.