Bulandshahr gangrape case: Cops pick up 11 suspects for questioning

The Uttar Pradesh police have picked up 11 suspected members of the Saleem Bawaria gang in connection with the Bulandshahr highway robbery and gangrape case.

The Uttar Pradesh police have picked up 11 suspected members of the Saleem Bawaria gang for questioning in the Bulandshahr highway robbery and gangrape case. However, prime suspect Saleem is yet to be caught. Police sources said these suspects were picked on the basis of information that they had been in Kithore area of Meerut before proceeding to Bulandshahr.

The police had also arrested three people earlier in connection with the case. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

However, senior officials were tight-lipped about the 11 men and said that any connect with the incident will be “strictly based on their identification by the Bulandshahr victims’ family.”

“A lot of people were picked up for questioning about the incident. We are tracing the previous history and involvement of all the suspects. Teams are searching for Saleem but giving any time frame for his arrest would not be possible,” said Anees Ahmed Ansari, senior superintendent of police, Bulandshahr.

According to sources, police teams are trying to find him in areas as far as Bokaro Steel Plant in Jharkhand. Searches are also underway in tribal settlements in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, UP and even Bihar.

Police sources said the suspects were under electronic surveillance for as long as five months for their alleged involvement in other crimes.

“I have tweeted to UP chief minister, but he is yet to meet the family. The counsellors and policemen at the family’s house the entire day are giving rise to privacy issues too,” Sharma said.

Based on calls from the victim girl’s father, Sharma had also tweeted, “3.He also said administration is intruding in their privacy. In one room home3counselors & police sitting (sic).”

The family said women counsellors have been visiting their house daily, helping the victims.

“They are spending the whole day with women from our family and we don’t even get the opportunity to spend time together. We don’t know what they are doing at our house for the whole day. However, due to counselling, the victims have shown signs of improvement. The police is also present at our house,” an uncle of the 13-year-old victim said.

However, he added, “We don’t want any suspects to be implicated if they are not involved in the incident.”