CBI trashes beef angle in Mewat double murdergangrape case

Agency claims to have scientific evidence to prove involvement of four hardcore criminals; says no strong clue against local youths initially charged with crime

PANCHKULA : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its chargesheet has debunked the beef angle in the case involving the murder of a Muslim couple and gangrape of their two nieces in Mewat in August 2016.

The probe agency had submitted the chargesheet in a CBI court, Panchkula, a few days back. The chargesheet says that the incident was a handiwork of four hardcore gangsters, associated with the notorious Axle gang, who confessed to their role in the Dingerheri incident after they were arrested by the Gurgaon police in September last year in another case.

The CBI had then taken them in its custody on production remand.

The chargesheet says the involvement of these criminals has been proved on the basis of scientific evidence, including matching of DNA profiles of the accused with that of semen found on the rape victims’ clothes.

THE INCIDENT

On August 24 that year, the 40-year-old farmer and his wife were thrashed to death while their two nieces, aged 21 and 16, were raped by four armed men, at Dingerheri village of Nuh’s Mewat. The accused allegedly locked other family members in a room while committing the crime and then fled with cash, jewellery and a two-wheeler. Three days after the incident, the

the Mewat police had arrested local youths Sandeep, Karamjeet, Amarjeet and Rahul in this connection. One of the youths was suspected to be a member of a gau rakshak (cow protection) outfit.

VICTIM WOMAN’S BEEF CLAIM IN QUESTION Nearly two weeks after the crime, one of the gangrape victims on September 10 had claimed that the attackers told her that they were punishing the family for eating beef.

On September 14, the victims also identified the four local youths in a court-monitored identification parade.

However, the CBI claimed in the chargesheet (para number 16.17) that one of the victim had identified an Axle gang member Jai Bhagwan. “She said she can also identify other accused gangsters,” reads the

CBI chargesheet. The other three gangsters charged with the crime are Hemant (Dharmu), Vinay (Lambu) and Ajay Chauhan (Munna).

PROBE HANDED

OVER TO CBI

The police filed a chargesheet against the four local youths in November 2016 charging them with gangrape and murder.

After their family expressed dissatisfaction with the police probe and NGOS and political parties demanded proper probe into the matter, the state government had handed over the case to the CBI in December that year.

‘Nothing incriminating against local youths’

The CBI challan says that during

the course of investigation, blood samples of the four local youths were sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), New Delhi, for matching with the DNA profiles of the victims but the same did not match.

It stated that nothing incriminating has emerged so far against these suspects except oral statements of the victims and their family members.

The challan also says that the names of the four emerged after the family members stated that the farmer’s wife disclosed these names before her death. The agency has attached a report of the AIIMS medical board which opined that due to severe head injury, the woman can’t be certified

medially/mentally fit to give valid oral statement. It, however, says that the probe is on material facts.

Pardeep Raparia, who is representing these youths, said, “The case was unnecessarily given a communal colour. I have moved an application in the CBI court to discharge them.”

NEXT COURT HEARING ON FEBRUARY 27

The special CBI court of Jagdeep Singh deferred the matter to February 27 after all the accused present in the case were handed over copies of the chargesheet on Tuesday.

The court also directed the agency to complete its investigation.