Second accused arrested in Muktsar kidnapping and rape case

Two days after the prime accused surrendered for kidnapping and raping a 23-year-old Dalit woman in Muktsar district, the police on Sunday arrested his accomplice.

Two days after the prime accused surrendered for kidnapping and raping a 23-year-old Dalit woman in Muktsar district, the police on Sunday arrested his accomplice.

A CCTV grab of the victim being dragged out of her office by the accused in Muktsar. ((Photo source: YouTube))

Malout deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manvinder Bir Singh said the second accused -- Sandeep Singh, alias Deepa, a resident of Tappa Khera village -- was arrested near the Malout bus stand on Sunday morning. He will be produced in court on Monday.

Accused Jagdeep Singh, aka Jojo, 25, a resident of Kandukhera village, had surrendered before the court of judicial magistrate (first class) Bagicha Singh in Malout on Friday. Sandeep Singh was identified after Jojo’s interrogation, said the DSP.

After abducting the woman on March 25, the duo took her to a farmhouse in Tappa Khera village, where she was allegedly raped. Later, they dumped her at the Malout bus stand.

Police registered the first information report in the case on March 30. The two were booked under Sections 376 (rape) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The district police allegedly did not bother to arrest the accused for nearly a month. It was only after the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the accused dragging the woman out of her workplace in broad daylight went viral, the cops became active.