Gurugram rape case: Police to probe ‘pub’s role’ in underage drinking

Gurugram police commissioner KK Rao said they are investigating how liquor was served to the victim, who is just 18-years-old.

Two days after a 45-year-old man, a resident of The Belaire in DLF-5, was arrested for allegedly raping a friend of his daughter’s, police commissioner KK Rao shot off a letter to the Gurugram excise department asking it to probe if the accused had ordered alcohol for the women or served them personally at a pub in CyberHub.

The BThe victim’s friend’s father, a businessman, allegedly raped her in the early hours of Friday after pulling her into his room when she was sleeping next to her friend in the latter’s bedroom. (Photo for representation) (AFP File)

Rao said they are conducting an investigation into how liquor was served to the women, both aged 18 years, when it is illegal to do so in the state if the customer is below 25 years of age. “We are investigating the case and the station house officer will enquire whether he (the accused) ordered drinks for himself and later served them (to the women) or directly ordered for the women,” he said.

Poonam Hooda, station house officer at the Sector 51 women’s police station, will speak to the two women to know the sequence of events.

The action comes after the victim stated in her complaint that the accused had “planned the rape” as he forced her and his daughter to consumer hard alcohol with dinner Cyber Hub in Gurugram. The complaint further states that neither the victim, nor her friend had ever consumed alcohol before this.

“The excise officials will look into this matter as it is a violation of the Excise Act and they need to take strict action. If the pub is found guilty, we will write to officials concerned to cancel their liquor license,” Rao said.

Officials at the excise department were yet to receive the letter on Monday evening but said that they have already issued guidelines to all the license holders in the city and have warned them against serving liquor to individuals below the age of 25 years.

“We have formed four teams on Monday headed by assistant excise and taxation officer, to check underage drinking. Anyone found serving liquor to an underage person and serving beyond prescribed time will be penalised and their licences will be cancelled,” deputy excise and taxation commissioner, Gurugram (west), HC Dahiya said.

The accused, a businessman and a director of two companies, was arrested on Friday after a case of rape was registered against him. He has been accused of raping his daughter’s friend who had come to their house to stay for the night. The accused, who was himself drunk, allegedly coaxed the girl out of his daughter’s room in the wee hours of the night, and raped her.

A case was registered under sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Indian Penal Code at the women’s police station in Gurugram’s Sector 51 on Friday morning.

He was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody on Saturday.