india

Updated: May 12, 2020 00:21 IST

BSP chief Mayawati has called for the hanging of the guilty in the Alwar gang rape case in Rajasthan and said the Supreme Court should act against the Congress government in Rajasthan and the state’s police.

“The guilty in Alwar gang-rape case should be hanged till death. Supreme Court should take action against the Congress government, police and the administration in the state. This matter is not just related to Dalits but all women,” ANI quoted her as saying on Saturday.

She also complained that the Election Commission was not taking action against those makiing derogatory remarks against women.

“The Election Commission is not taking appropriate action against political leaders who are making derogatory remarks against women, during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections,” she said.

The case of gang rape came to the fore in Alwar where a Dalit woman alleged that she was gang raped by five men in front of her husband. The couple were travelling on a bike and were waylaid by five men who beat up the husband and also made a video of the crime and circulated it on social media. The incident occurred on April 26 but a case was registered on May 2 as the victim was being threatened by the accused.

Police have arrested all six accused -- Indra Raj Gurjar, Mahesh Gurjar, Ashok Gurjar, Hansraj Gurjar, Chhote Lal Gurjar and Mukesh Gurjar -- on charges of gang rape and filming the crime.

On Tuesday, Director General of Police Kapil Garg denied that the police was trying to hide the crimes or shield the culprits. The Rajasthan government had come under fire from the opposition BJP after a spate of rape and abduction cases in the last one month.

The BJP had accused the Congress government of hiding the Alwar gang rape case. State BJP president Madanlal Saini said the crime was hidden for 11 days because the government feared a political fallout during the ongoing elections.

On Friday, National SC/ST Commission Vice Chairman L Murgan recommended that an FIR be registered against police officers whose alleged negligence led to delay in action in the Alwar gang rape case.

Murgan along with Commission secretary Pritam Singh, Rajasthan Chief Secretary D B Gupta and DGP Kapil Garg held a meeting in Alwar to review the progress in the case, which has triggered wide-spread outrage in Rajasthan.

“I have asked that negligent police officers should be booked under section 4 of SC/ST Act, charge sheet should be filed within 15 days and the case should be monitored on a daily basis. The family has demanded government job. I have asked the district magistrate to see how it can be provided,” Murgan told reporters in Alwar after the meeting, PTI reported.

The victim’s husband had claimed that he had approached the police on April 26 after the incident, but an FIR was filed on May 2. He had alleged that the police did not take action saying that they were busy with elections.

On Tuesday night, the Rajasthan government removed Alwar Superintendent of Police Rajiv Pachar and suspended SHO of the Thanagazi police station Sardar Singh while four policemen were taken off active duty.

The victim’s family submitted a memorandum for speedy trial, compensation and government job. The Commission has also asked the state government to check how the victim’s husband can be provided compensation under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he added.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the culprits will not be spared and speedy trial will be ensured.

He said that the state government will make arrangements that an FIR can be filed at the Superintendent of Police (SP) office itself if the SHO concerned does not file the first information report and investigate complaints.

“We are going to take an important decision that if an SHO doesn’t file FIR then there will be a provision that FIR can be filed at SP office and it will be monitored why the FIR was not filed at the police station concerned and action will be taken.“Steps will be taken so that crime rate reduces in the state,” Gehlot told reporters in Jaipur. according to PTI.

He said that a committee has been constituted to investigate the matter and lapses that occurred.

Three incidents of rape have been reported from parts of Alwar district in the last fortnight.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)