Woman ASI suspended, 2 accused still on the run

HISAR: After the shunting out of Rewari superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Duggal, a woman assistant sub-inspector (ASI) has been suspended over the alleged delay in taking action in the gangrape case of a 20-yearold woman while the two of the three main accused in the case are still on the run.

“The Rewari superintendent of police (SP) has suspended ASI Heeramani Devi, who was posted at the women police station, for not taking action in the case in time. Devi has been sent to police lines and an inquiry will be conducted against her,” district police spokesperson Din Dayal said.

Earlier, Duggal was moved out as the Rewari SP and Rahul Sharma was made the new district police chief.

The victim’s family has alleged that the police failed to take prompt action on their complaint and delayed action by citing jurisdictional issues between their units in Rewari and Mahendragarh districts.

The family has alleged that the women police station in Rewari, after registering a ‘zero FIR’ in the case, delayed action and failed to promptly hand over the probe to the Mahendragarh police, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place.

Meanwhile, police teams are conducting raids in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi to arrest the remaining two accused— armyman Pankaj and Manish, said Kanina deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Vinod Kumar.

“We will nab the two accused soon,” he said while talking to HT.

Police have arrested one of the main accused, Nishu Phogat, along with two others, identified as Sanjeev, a medical practitioner who checked on the woman’s health condition after the crime, and Deendayal, the owner of the tubewell room where the woman was allegedly gangraped.

The three arrested accused were remanded to five-day police custody by a court in Kanina, Mahendragarh on Monday.

The DSP said during interrogation, Nishu provided vital clues about the other two main accused.

Meanwhile, the Rewari district bar association on Tuesday decided that no advocate will defend the accused in the court.

Association president Ravinder Yadav said, “We have also handed over a memorandum, addressed to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, to the Rewari SP, urging the CM to ensure prompt arrest of the remaining two accused and stringent action against all of them.”

ASI HEERAMANI DEVI, WHO WAS POSTED AT THE WOMEN POLICE STATION, SUSPENDED FOR NOT TAKING ACTION IN THE CASE IN TIME