Violence in Brij Vihar: Police book 250 for rioting following minor’s rape

The violence unfolded after girl’s family on late Wednesday evening alleged that she was raped by one of her Muslim neighbours

After a day of heightened communal tensions in Ghaziabad’s Brij Vihar, following rioting and arson by a group of locals and members of a right-wing organisation over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl on Wednesday, the Ghaziabad police on Friday booked about 250 unidentified protesters for rioting, damaging property and torching vehicles and shops in the locality.

Police said they are carrying out a detailed investigation, but the family has not been able to disclose the identities or names of the three alleged suspects. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Although a 21-year-old scrap dealer has been arrested on charges of raping the minor, the mob unleashed violence and arson seeking the conversion of the alleged case of rape into one of gang-rape by four men, the Ghaziabad police said.

The FIR against the rioters was registered suo motu at Link Road police station late Thursday night against 200-250 unidentified protesters, senior officers said. They have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 191(2) (rioting), 191(3) (use of force or violence by an unlawful assembly), 326(g) (mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc) and 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt) and also under the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

“Those involved in rioting will be identified through videos and CCTV footage. So far, no arrest has been made as the rioters are only being identified. We are also investigating how people gathered in large numbers in Brij Vihar on Thursday. The police deployment will remain in the area until further orders,” said Nimish Patil, deputy commissioner of police, trans-Hindon.

The violence unfolded after girl’s family on late Wednesday evening alleged that she was raped by one of her Muslim neighbours. They alleged that he entered their house and fed her some sedative to make her fall unconscious before beating her and raping her, said police, quoting the family’s complaint.

The family told police that the girl and a minor child were the only ones at home when the suspect allegedly barged into the house and raped her.

The police in this connection registered an FIR under 333 (house trespass), 123 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc), 65(1) (rape on a woman under sixteen years of age), 115(2) (causing hurt) of the BNS and also under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POcso) Act at the Link Road police station on August 29 (Thursday).

Later, they arrested the neighbour, identified as Faizan, 21.

However, the family and members of a right-wing group on Thursday started alleging that it was a case of gang-rape and that three more men, all Muslims, were involved in the crime. The crowd soon grew in number and seeing the buildup, police deployed about 200 personnel, including personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary, in the area.

However, the crowd turned violent by evening and resorted to rioting, damaging and torching shops and vehicles belonging to the Muslim community in the area.

“The child told us that one of the suspects raped her while three others stood watch. The three suspects fled soon after the incident,” the girl’s uncle alleged on Friday.

Police said they are carrying out a detailed investigation, but the family has not been able to disclose the identities or names of the three alleged suspects.

“So far, they have not given us any details about the three suspects nor have we found any evidence of the presence of three more people at the crime scene. We are investigating the case from all angles . The girl was taken before a magistrate on Friday to record her statement,” DCP Patil said.

Police said the child was taken for a medical examination and she allegedly told doctors there that only one person, Faizan, sexually assaulted her.

“There is no indication of any internal or external injuries in the medical examination report. The girl has maintained in her statement to the police that only one man assaulted her. Faizan told us during interrogation that he molested (inappropriate touching) the girl but did not rape her. He said maintains that he was alone and there were no one else present,” Patil said.