Alwar gangrape: Police file chargesheet against accused

The Rajasthan police on Saturday filed a chargesheet against the five men who allegedly raped a woman in Alwar last month, PTI reported. A sixth accused had allegedly recorded the incident on camera and circulated it. All six persons have been arrested.

The incident had triggered widespread protests in the state after the complainant’s family accused the police of not taking timely action.

They had filed a complaint on April 30, but alleged that the police registered an FIR only on May 2. The police allegedly said that they did not have enough personnel to look into the matter because of the elections.

Five of the accused – Inderraj Gujar, Ashok Gurjar, Chotelal Gurjar, Hansraj Gurjar and Mahesh Gujar – were arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

On April 26, they had allegedly accosted the couple travelling on a motorcycle, and took them to an isolated spot. There, they allegedly raped the 18-year-old Dalit woman and beat up her husband. A sixth person, Mukesh Gujar, recorded the incident and circulated its video. He was arrested under the Information Technology Act.

The Congress government in the state was also criticised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who claimed that the police deliberately delayed filing a First Information Report in the case because of the ongoing parliamentary elections.

On Thursday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had met the complainant and assured her family that strict action will be taken in the case. He said the case was not a political matter but an emotional one, and a message should go across the country, not just in Rajasthan, that “this will not be tolerated”.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused Modi of politicising the case. “Entire country knows he [Modi] is doing politics. He speaks lie, which is unfortunate,” he had said. He had assured that chargesheet in the case will be filed soon.