NHRC notice to the Government of Rajasthan over reported police inaction in the rape of a Dalit woman in Alwar district (08.05.2019)

New Delhi, 08th May, 2019

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped in by five men after tying up her husband in Thanagaji area of Alwar district, Rajasthan on the 26th April, 2019. A video shot by the alleged culprits of the gruesome incident, reportedly, also went viral on social media. Reportedly, despite having registered an FIR in the matter the police did not take any action for four days because of elections on 6th May, 2019.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media reports, if true, amount to the gross violation of the human rights of the victim woman and her husband. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Rajasthan calling for a report in the matter, within six weeks including action taken against the guilty and relief/ counselling provided to the victim woman. The Commission would also like to know whether provisions of the SC/ST Act, 1995 have been applied in this case for action against the guilty and statutory relief to the victim.

According to the media report, carried today on the 8th May,2019, the role of the police is under investigation. The protesters gathered in Thanagaji on 07.05.2019 and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and action against the guilty policemen for the delay in probing the case. As mentioned in the news report, the DGP of the State has stated that one of the accused has been arrested and efforts are being made to nab the remaining ones.

Reportedly, according to the police, the victim and her husband were going from village Lalwadi to Taalvraksh on a bike, on 26.04.2019, when at about 3.00 PM, five youths aged between 20-25 years, stopped them and took the couple to deserted sand dunes. The husband was allegedly assaulted and tied up and the woman was gang-raped. The culprits reportedly also threatened the couple not to report the matter to the police or they will make the video, public. The accused also demanded money from the couple which was given to them but later, when they again demanded money, the couple reported the matter to the police on 02.05.2019.

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