punjab

Updated: Jul 21, 2018 09:07 IST

The owner and the manager of a guest house in Morni hills in Panchkula were arrested on Friday for allegedly gangraping a 21-year-old Manimajra woman in captivity for four days.

Sunny, owner of Lovely Guest House and Restaurant, and its manager Avtar Singh also invited six to eight other men a day, including two cops, to rape her at the guest house, the woman alleged in her complaint to the Chandigarh Police.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Satish Kumar said, “The victim claimed that nearly eight to 10 men raped her daily between July 15 and 18.

Narrating her tale of horror, the victim told the police that she accompanied Sunny, a friend of her husband, in a Maruti Alto after he offered her a housekeeping job paying Rs 11,000 per month.

“But on reaching the guest house, Avtar and Sunny held her captive, and the duo and other staff members took turns to rape her at night,” Manimajra SHO Ranjit Singh said.

He added that the victim alleged that for the next three days Avtar and Sunny invited visitors at the guest house to rape her. The accused also smashed her mobile phone when she tried to make a distress call to her husband.

Investigators said when the victim threatened Sunny of going to the police, he got her a bus ticket for Panchkula, and she was allowed to leave on the night of July 18.

“On reaching Panchkula at night, the woman went to the civil hospital in Sector 6 for medical examination. There hospital staff told her to visit the women police station in Sector 5, Panchkula. But the cops there sent her to the Manimajra police station,” Manimajra SHO Ranjit Singh said.

Acting on her complaint, Chandigarh police registered a case of rape, and raided the guest house in the wee hours on Friday to arrest Sunny and Avtar. Another staff member Honey was also nabbed. They were produced before a court that sent them to judicial custody. The victim’s statement was also recorded before a magistrate on Friday.

Police have sealed the guest house and recovered the DVR of the CCTV camera installed in the guest house.

Woman ASI suspended for turning away victim

Panchkula police have suspended assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Saraswati posted at the women police station, Sector 5, Panchkula over turning away the rape victim when she approached her with a complaint on Thursday. The Morni police post in-charge ASI Mange Ram and area security agent Pradeep Kumar have also been suspended for negligence in the line of duty.

Besides, a special investigation team (SIT), headed by assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Anshu Singla, has been formed to probe the case.

The victim had first approached the Panchkula Women Police Station after she reached the town from Morni on the night of July 18. But, as the victim hailed from Manimajra, ASI Saraswati asked her to lodge a complaint with the Chandigarh police.

Meanwhile, the rape case registered by the Chandigarh police has been transferred to Panchkula Police. Panchkula DCP Rajendar Kumar Meena said, “We have initiated a probe. Strict action will be taken against any negligence by cops in the case.”

“We will now initiate the process to bring the accused on production warrants from Chandigarh on Saturday. A female doctor and a counsellor have been provided by the health department for the victim,” he added.

The story has been updated.