Rohtak gangrape victim's family demands capital punishment for accused

Parents of the 23-year-old woman who was gangraped and murdered in Rohtak, Haryana on May 11 said the attack had been carried out by the girl's neighbour and demanded capital punishment for them, reported news agency ANI. The young woman had allegedly turned down a marriage proposal and a week later, on May 9, the man turned up at her residence with his friends. The girl's family have claimed the men kidnapped her from Sonepat, and later brought to Rohtak. Her parents lodged a missing complaint at the Sonepat police station.

She was gangraped and murdered and her mutilated body was found in Rohtak district, according to the police. The forensic report suggests that she was mutilated with sharp-edged weapons. Sub-inspector Malik suspects that she was first raped and then her head was hit with a brick and her face was smashed against a stone. Stray dogs had bitten away the victim's face. Her body was noticed by a passerby in the urban estate area of the district on May 11. "The victim was tortured and her body was mutilated after the gangrape. She was killed after being raped involving at least seven people. Her skull was smashed in a way which indicates that she was run over by a vehicle in order to hide her identity," the forensic team stated.

Two people, Sumit and Vikas, were arrested in connection to this, according to Ajay Malik, Sub-inspector of police in Sonepat.

Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today expressed shock at the incident, highlighting the need to "revisit" the issue of women's safety. "This savage and bone-chilling incident has shocked the conscience of the nation, reminding each one of us about the crying need for revisiting the important issue of women's safety and security," Gandhi said.

The Congress president expressed condolences to the family and hoped that the Haryana government would take action against the perpetrators as well as provide necessary solace to the family.