‘Not hiding crimes’, says Rajasthan police chief amid spurt in rape cases
Under fire from the opposition BJP after a spate of rape and abduction cases in the last one month, the Rajasthan government late Tuesday evening removed Alwar’s Superintendent of Police Rajiv Pachar. Additional chief secretary, home department Rajiv Swarup said the SP has been placed on APO (awaiting posting order).
Under fire from the opposition BJP after a spate of rape and abduction cases in the last one month, the Rajasthan government late Tuesday evening removed Alwar’s Superintendent of Police Rajiv Pachar.
Additional chief secretary, home department Rajiv Swarup said the SP has been placed on APO (awaiting posting order).
Earlier n the day the state’s Director General of Police Kapil Garg said the police was not trying to hide the crimes or shield the culprits.
“Police is not trying to conceal any crimes. Our effort is to try and ensure that all cases are registered,” he said.
The BJP had accused the Congress government of hiding the Alwar gang rape case. State BJP president Madanlal Saini said the crime was hidden for 11 days because the government feared a political fallout during the ongoing elections.
Saini demanded the resignation of chief minister Ashok Gehlot who is also in charge of the home department. He said law and order in the state has collapsed and criminals were having a free run.
A case of gang rape came to the fore in Alwar where a Dalit woman alleged that she was gang raped by five men in front of her husband. The couple were travelling on a bike and were waylaid by five men who beat up the husband and also made a video of the crime and circulated it on social media. The incident occurred on April 26 but a case was registered on May 2 as the victim was being threatened by the accused.
“All the five accused have been identified and one of them, Indraraj Gurjar, has been arrested. Fourteen police teams are working on the case,” Garg said.
Asked about another case of gang rape in Thanagazi area of Alwar and police inaction, Garg said Inspector General of Jaipur Range S Sengathir knew about the incident and a case has been filed.
Later in the evening the DGP ordered the suspension of Sardar Singh, SHO of the Thanagazi police station.
A gang rape case was also reported from Bayana in Bharatpur district where a minor girl was abducted by three men on a bike and raped.
Regarding another case of rape in Banswara where a minor deaf and mute girl was raped but the crime only came to light after she gave birth to a stillborn baby Garg said the investigation was on in the case.
Additional Director General of Police (Crime) BL Soni said the station house officer (SHO) of the area where the crime took place had met the girl’s mother but she had refused to lodge a case.
“The Banswara SHO had met the mother on Tuesday and persuaded her to file a case. The SP is monitoring the case and trying to identify the accused,” he said.
Soni said investigation was on in another case of gang rape in Udaipurwati town of Jhunjhunu district and the accused would soon be arrested.
Asked about the abduction of a newly-wed woman who was on way to her in-laws place, Garg said, “The accused has been identified and will be apprehended.”
The woman who was on way to her in-laws house was allegedly kidnapped by her former boyfriend on Tuesday.
Garg said initial investigation showed that the woman knew the man who abducted her. “But this is a serious offence and we will try to arrest the culprits soon.”
The case is similar to one that occurred in Sikar last month when a bride on way to her in-laws house was abducted by her jilted lover. The couple were later traced and brought back by police from Dehradun.