Delhi woman alleges gangrape in Murthal, FIR against seven

“An FIR has been lodged against seven persons in connection with a gangrape on the basis of a complaint filed by a Narela-based woman today,” Haryana Police, DIG, Rajshree Singh told reporters.

She said the victim had alleged she was raped on the intervening night of February 22-23 and the perpetrators included her brother-in-law. The complainant said she knew all of them.

The officer, who heads a three-member team of women police officers constituted by the Haryana government to go into alleged incidents of rape and molestation of several women by Jat protesters, however, said a “family dispute” could be the reason behind the woman filing the complaint.

The officer said the victim was not sure about the exact scene of the crime but claimed she was raped in a building near Murthal when she was on way to Narela in Delhi from Haridwar on a van. The woman, however, said her 15-year-old daughter who was accompanying her, was not raped but her clothes were torn.

The DIG said the woman had called her up on Saturday and her statement was recorded a day later. 

Earlier, some locals, including truck drivers, had claimed they had seen women being dragged to the fields by the protesters. TV channels showed footage of garments worn by women strewn in some places. However, adding to the mystery, some eyewitnesses on Sunday claimed that the inner wear  found strewn on the highway was the handiwork of protesters who looted a garment shop. Asked about the recovery of some clothes belonging to women at Murthal, Dr Rajshree said: “ The clothes have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination. Let us see, what comes out.”