Family of a 35-year-old Dalit woman in Churu, Rajasthan has claimed that she was gang-raped and severely tortured by the police. The incident pertains to a case wherein the woman and her 22-year-old brother-in-law were picked up by the police on the accusation of theft.
The man was allegedly beaten to death by the police on July 6, after which they gang-raped the woman.
On July 14, an FIR against six personnel and suspended SHO of Sardarshahar police station was registered. The Department of Personnel issued an order on July 13 for removal of Churu SP Rajendra Kumar. He has now been put on waiting for posting.
Gang-Rape & Heinous Torture
Reportedly, the duo was picked up the police on June 30 as per the family’s claims, while the police say that they were taken into custody on July 3.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Churu, Prakash Kumar Sharma told The Indian Express that the police received information that the villagers had caught a suspected thief. When the police reached the said spot they found a man roughed up by the villagers. The man was then brought to the police station where police found that last year, he was named in an FIR for theft lodged by a man from his village. However, no chargesheet was filed against the man and he was dropped home the same day, said Sharma.
Sharma further said that the man was again picked by the police on July 6. He fell sick at 1:45 am and taken to hospital where he died around 2:15 am, says Sharma.
However, the man’s brother said, “On June 30, police picked my 22-year-old brother in a theft case. On July 3, they came with him and then they took him back the same day, they took my wife too. Later, on the night of July 6-7, police tortured and murdered my brother. My wife, who witnessed the torture, was gang-raped by police. They also plucked her nails, hurt her eyes and fingers.”
The family also claims that the woman was kept in police custody even after the brother-in-law’s alleged custodial death. She allegedly returned only on July 10 and her condition was extremely bad. She was admitted to hospital on July 11 in Jaipur, after which the family submitted a memorandum to authorities on July 13.
Additional Director General of Police, Crime, B L Soni told The Sunday Express that the woman’s statement was being recorded. “We have decided to register a case on the basis of her claims and get it investigated by the Crime Branch,” he said.
