A 33-year-old mute and deaf woman from Gondal in Gujarat was raped and impregnated, allegedly by two men named Ikbal and Siddik. She was admitted to Rajkot Civil Hospital with abdominal discomfort, where her pregnancy was discovered. Due to her condition of being mute, deaf, and unmarried, the medical staff notified the police about the possibility of sexual assault. The Gondal police have finally uncovered this heinous crime. During the preliminary investigation, the name of a Dargah’s caretaker and a truck driver emerged in connection with the case.
Following relentless efforts for three days, the Gondal City Police successfully nabbed Ikbal, also known as Iku Ahmad Chauhan (52 years old), and Siddik Akara Siddiki (50 years old) near a Dargah in Gondal. These individuals had been regularly visiting the Dargah premises over the past three years. They raped the woman in a secluded room.
SP Jayapalsinh Rathod of Rajkot took prompt action to uncover the details of the crime and instructed the authorities to initiate legal proceedings against the suspects. As a result, under the guidance of DYSP K. Jhala and PI Mahesh Sangada from the Gondal Division, the staff of Gondal City Police meticulously conducted the investigation.
Police Inspector Sangada informed that as the victim woman was mute and deaf, it was extremely challenging to determine who had committed the crime against her. After a thorough investigation, the assistance of sign language teachers Kashyap Pancholi and Jaysukh Suraani from the Rajkot School for the Deaf was sought to communicate with the victim effectively.
The woman had her father, brother, and sister-in-law in her family. Therefore, it was crucial to interrogate the sister-in-law in connection with the accused. Since the woman could not communicate through sign language, it was challenging to gather information. However, after several demonstrations, the primary details of the accused were obtained.
The victim woman was shown photographs of several individuals, through which she identified the accused. Subsequently, the accused were apprehended and brought face to face with the woman for identification. Following three days of continuous proceedings, charges were filed against them under IPC 376(2)(J)(N) and other relevant sections. As per the complaint, the woman’s mother had passed away two years ago.
The young woman lives with her father, brother, and sister-in-law. There is a Dargah located near her house. She would regularly visit the Dargah for worship and to burn incense and fragrant sticks. In the vicinity of Gondal’s Dargah, there is a room where the accused Ikbal lives. Taking advantage of the woman’s regular visits to the Dargah and her hearing impairment, Ikbal would come up with excuses to take her to the room where he would rape her.
The second accused, Siddik, is a truck driver for the main butcher in the nearby area. He was acquainted with the woman’s father and brother. Siddik had ill intentions towards the hearing-impaired woman. Three years ago, he started stalking the woman. Siddik would lure the woman to a secluded house near his residence, where he would rape her. Currently, the police have apprehended the accused and are taking further action.
After registering the victim’s statement with the help of family members and sign language experts, samples will be taken for DNA testing from both the arrested individual. Once the woman gives birth to the child, a DNA test will also be conducted to determine who impregnated her. Currently, the police have successfully apprehended the accused individuals.
