Panchkula: 22-year-old woman held captive, gangraped by 40 men for four days narrates her ordeal
Panchkula, July 20: Shocking details have emerged in the horrific gangrape of a 22-year-old woman who was held captive at a guesthouse here for four days. While the sheer brutality of the crime has sent shockwaves across the country, the case has pointed fingers at the Haryana police's approach towards such incidents of crimes against women.
According to reports, the victim was working as a maintenance worker at the guest house on the city outskirts where she was held captive for four days and raped allegedly by 40 men. In her complaint, the victim has stated that she was restrained to a room in the guest house for four days before she managed to escape. In fact, the victim claims that upon escaping her captors, she approached the Panchkula police with a complaint against the accused and was thrown out by the station in-charge.
It was only after media reports highlighted her ordeal that the Commissioner of Chandigarh took note of the case and ordered a high-level inquiry. Latest inputs assert that the station in-charge has been suspended pending a probe into the alleged insensitiveness displayed by the police force. Based on the victim's complaint, Chandigarh police have arrested three men and are expected to nab others involved in the gangrape soon. Shockingly, the commissioner of Panchkula has even confirmed that the guest house where the crime was perpetrated is an illegal establishment and was not registered with either civic bodies or local police.
Investigating officers have told Mirror Now that a medical examination of the victim has already been undertaken and her statement has been recorded under Section 164 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) before a magistrate. Chandigarh police are building a watertight case against all of the accused who are expected to be taken into custody very soon.
Courtesy: www.timesnownews.com
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
