Rishikesh gang-grape: Women’s commission asks DMs to check de-addiction centres

A woman from Roorkee was allegedly gang-raped at a drug de-addiction centre in Rishikesh around one and a half month ago

The Uttarakhand state women’s commission has written to district magistrates of Haridwar and Dehradun asking them to ensure strict action against culprits in the alleged gang-rape case of a woman from Roorkee at a drug de-addiction centre in Rishikesh, which was shifted to Haridwar after the incident, officials said on Monday.

The Uttarakhand women’s commission asked the district magistrates of Haridwar and Dehradun to ensure strict action against culprits in the Rishikesh gang-rape case. (Representative Image)

Confirming the development, Kusum Kandwal, president, Uttarakhand state women commission, said she has asked the district magistrates to check the operations of such rehabilitation centres. She added that she has also written to the police to take strict action against the culprits.

A case was registered under Sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Honey, a resident and worker at the drug de-addiction centre and its owner Ritika Tanwar, a resident of Delhi at Rishikesh police station on July 30.

Rishikesh police station in-charge Ravi Saini said the incident took place around one and a half months ago.

The complainant woman alleged that she first came in contact with Ritika, who introduced her to Honey, with whom she went for anti-drug campaigns. She said that they became friends and once Ritika and Honey spiked her drink following which she went unconscious. Honey brought two unidentified people who sexually assaulted her. The next day, when the complainant asked about the same to both Ritika and Honey, they threatened her saying that they have made an obscene video of her and asked her to do what they ask her to or they will upload the video on social media.

They also took her outside the city and forced her to make physical relationships with others. When she resisted, the accused beat her and threatened to kill her. She then went to Ritika’s house in Delhi but she threw the complainant out of the house, said Rishikesh police station in-charge Ravi Saini.

The complainant alleged that Ritika runs a prostitution racket behind the guise of a drug rehabilitation centre and forced young women into the flesh trade by threatening them, he said. It has also been alleged that the accused took away the victim’s ₹50,000 cash and a gold chain worth ₹50,000. “We have registered a case and the allegations are being looked into,” added the police officer.