Two cops among three accused of rape, murder of Dalit girl in Rajasthan
Jaipur (PTI): A Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered, leading to the suspension of two policemen for their suspected role in the incident in Rajasthan's Bikaner district, officials said on Wednesday.
Inspector General of Police (IG) Om Prakash said the body of the 20-year-old girl was found in the Khajuwala area on Tuesday.
"Her family members have accused three persons, including two constables of Khajuwala police station, of raping the girl. Both the policemen have been suspended immediately and the matter is being investigated," he said.
The family members of the victim have refused to grant consent to conduct a post-mortem examination and demanded the immediate arrest of all the accused. They also staged a 'dharna'.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Tejaswani Gautam said efforts were being made to persuade the family members and relatives of the victim for postmortem.
Police said a case under various sections, including 376-D (gang rape), of the Indian Penal Code was registered with Khajuwala police station.
The family members have alleged that the policemen Manoj and Bhagirath along with the third accused took her to the house, where they gang raped and murdered her.
Citing call records, police said the victim and the key accused were known to each other. Meanwhile, the role of the two constables is being probed.
The case is being investigated by additional SP Deepak Sharma.
The opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cornered the Ashok Gehlot-led government over the incident.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rajendra Rathore tweeted that the involvement of policemen in the incident of rape and murder of a girl in Khajuwala in Bikaner is a blot on the face of the government.
The suspension of the constables is merely a formality, due to which the family members of the girl are resentful towards the police administration, he added.
"It is unfortunate that till now both the accused constables have not been arrested. I demand the state government to take strict action against the guilty policemen in this case and arrest them," he said.
Food and civil supplies minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said in Jaipur that the matter was being investigated by the police and action against the guilty will be taken.
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.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
