A 35-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped and brutally beaten up inside the police station in Sardarshahr Police station in Churu, Rajasthan. Six policemen are booked for torturing and gangraping the woman. She and her brother-in-law Nemichand were allegedly illegally detained by the then SHO and other police officers. The woman has alleged that she was raped, tortured and beaten up after her brother in law died in police custody.
Sardarshahr Police Station’s new SHO Mahendra Dutt Sharma, who took over after the incident came to light, has said that based on her complaint, an FIR has been registered against the then SHO and five to seven other police officers. The CID-Crime Branch will be investigating the case, he added.
As per reports, the woman’s brother-in-law was arrested in a theft case on 6th July. Later that night, he died at the hospital. However, his family claims Nemichand was picked up by the police on 30th June. On 3rd July, the police detained her. The police accused her of keeping the articles stolen by Nemichand.
The woman has claimed that the police brutally beat up Nemichand in custody on 6th July. Following his death, she alleges that the police officers gang-raped her, tortured her and brutally beat her up as well. Later, on 10th July, the police dropped her back home. The police also reportedly threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed anything.
She is currently undergoing treatment in Jaipur hospital.
Action taken
The then SHO Singh and other police officers of Sardarshahr Police Stations were suspended on 8th July. Churu SP Rajendra Kumar was also removed whereas DSP Bhanwar Lal was suspended and put under vigilance investigation on 12th July.
A case under sections 376-D (gangrape), 343 (wrongful confinement for three or more days), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act has been registered.