An Indian Army soldier is among the three men accused of raping a 19-year-old college student in Haryana earlier this week, the police said on Saturday. They are yet to arrest a single suspect three days after young woman was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by a group of men in Haryana. The police have offered a reward of Rs. 1 lakh for anyone who gives them any leads. The second-year student who topped the CBSE board exam was allegedly raped till she fell unconscious, and dumped at a bus stand on Wednesday.
“Pankaj Fauzi is one of the accused who is working in an army unit in Rajasthan. A police team has gone to Rajasthan to arrest him. I am sure that he will be arrested today,” Haryana police chief BS Sandhu said. The police have identified the other two men as Manish and Nishu who are on the run. All the three men were known to the woman, they added.
“If an army personnel is involved in the crime we will ensure that the person is caught and booked for rape. We do not shelter criminals,” Lt. Gen Cherish Mathson, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command, said.
“They (the accused) will be caught soon,” Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters on Saturday.
In her complaint, the student said that when was on her way to a coaching center near her village, three young men in a car allegedly kidnapped her and dragged her to a field, where they raped her, before dumping her at the bus stand. She said she was offered a drink laced with sedatives.
The father of the young women, who was felicitated by the government for her CBSE marks, said she could have been raped by eight to 10 men.
“Medical report confirms rape. We’ve made multiple teams to nab the accused. I appeal to the people to give us any information they have regarding the case and have announced a reward of Rs. 1 lakh for those who help us in cracking the case,” police officer Naazneed Bhasin was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Her mother has accused the police of failing to take action in the case. She said on Friday that her daughter was in a state of shock after the incident, while the accused were “roaming freely” after the incident.
The National Commission for Women has taken note of the complaint and asked the Haryana police chief for an update into the investigation.
With little progress in investigation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded Mr Khattar’s resignation.
