Rohtak Rape: Protests erupt after police apathy

Chandigarh, Feb 8 (IANS) Protests erupted in Haryana's Rohtak town Sunday after details emerged of the barbaric manner in which a mentally-challenged Nepali woman was raped and murdered and how Haryana Police and the state government failed to show any action being taken.

Protestors Sunday took out a march in Rohtak town, 75 km from Delhi. Reports said the Rohtak-Delhi highway was blocked by protestors in the evening.

The woman's body was found in an agricultural field near Bahu Akbarpur village on the Rohtak-Hisar highway by villagers Feb 4. The post-mortem report said objects had been thrust into her body. Doctors said the woman was gang-raped before being brutally killed.

The woman's skull had a fracture and her body parts had been eaten. She had gone missing Feb 1 and a relative had filed a complaint with police in Rohtak. However, police did not register a case.

The woman had come to Rohtak from Nepal a couple of months back for treatment at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak.

Haryana Police, under fire from various quarters for not taking action in the matter, claimed it was conducting raids to nab the culprits.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Mohammad Akil Sunday said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Rohtak Deputy Superintendent of Police Amit Bhatia had been constituted to investigate the case.

Over 10 officers were part of the SIT and its sub-teams were also investigating the incident.

Police have also announced a reward of Rs.1 lakh for any credible information about the rape.

"A team of specialists from Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Madhuban, visited the scene of crime and collected all physical evidence, which has been sent to the laboratory for further examination. Criminals who have been involved in similar crimes are being interrogated," Akil said.

Leader of the opposition Congress legislature party Kiran Chaudhary condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

She said the law and order situation had deteriorated under Khattar.

"The heinous crime has earned Haryana the infamy of Nirbhaya-type incident involving a helpless and mentally challenged woman and sent shockwaves across the state.

"Though the heinous and gruesome crime was committed a week ago, the SIT is yet to catch the culprits who are still at large. It is time the BJP government woke up from its deep slumber and acted to protect people's life and limbs," she said.