Chandigarh: Woman who helped man rape minor arrested after 24 years

The woman, identified as Veerwati, 52, of Uttar Pradesh was arrested from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, on Friday by the PO and Summons Staff of Chandigarh Police

A month after Chandigarh Police arrested a 48-year-old man, wanted for kidnapping and raping a minor girl since 1999, his female accomplice has also landed in police net after 24 years.

Accused of helping the main accused, Hari Chand, rape the 15-year-old girl, the woman was declared a proclaimed offender in April 2000. (Getty Images)

The woman, identified as Veerwati, 52, of Uttar Pradesh (UP) was arrested from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, on Friday by the PO and Summons Staff of Chandigarh Police. Accused of helping the main accused, Hari Chand, rape the 15-year-old girl, she was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in April 2000.

“The woman was arrested from the forest area near the water stream of VPO Kakru, Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur,” said Hari Om Sharma, inspector and in-charge, PO and Summons staff.

The main accused, Hari Chand, also hailing from UP, was arrested in July for raping the minor girl on December 6, 1999, in Manimajra. Police said the accused had been living as a Pathi at a gurdwara in UP.

In another case, the PO cell arrested Lovely Sharma of LIC Colony, Mundi Kharar, Mohali, in connection with an attempt to murder case registered at the Sector 36 police station on September 29, 2019.

Lovely had allegedly attacked a Home Guards volunteer Naresh Kumar with an iron rod in Sector 35 and had been evading arrest since then.