Explosive letters by two unidentified victims forced the Haryana Police to make a U-turn and add gangrape charges to the FIR in the Murthal case, the government affidavit accessed by CNN-IBN on Tuesday showed.
The first letter, posted from Mathura Road, Faridabad, said the victim was returning home with her father from a college hostel on February 21 during the Jat quota agitation when she was allegedly gangraped by rioters.
The second one, was a social media post by an Australia-based NRI or an Australian of Indian origin, which was forwarded to the police by a journalist. In the post, the woman describes what happened on that night in Murthal, when hundreds of rioters had blocked the national highway that links the national Capital to Chandigarh and beyond.
In the message she said, "We reached Murthal and as our taxi went ahead there was a jam. Though scared, we decided to move forward. We had food at a dhabha and slept in the taxi. Just 15 minutes had passed, I woke up to a loud bang and someone had broken the window of our car. The mob was giving loud abuses and diesel was thrown on cars. The taxi driver opened the doors. My husband, who was sitting with the driver, had a injury on his forehead due to sword attack. I and my niece escaped from the right door and my sister-in-law and my daughter escaped from back door."
"We held each others' hands in the darkness and wherever we could find a way we tried to run that way. A mob with lathis and swords attacked us. I screamed for my niece and sister-in-law and I saw a mob running in that direction. I don't know who tried to hold my hand from the mob and I got pulled in that way. I tried to look for my relatives but some goons took to me the fields. There was no one who could hear my screams there. I couldn't even hear their talk. I could see shadows and hear screams from nearby fields. I don't know when they pulled down my salwar ... only sleeves were left of my kameez. I don't know if they were 5 or 50."
"I don't remember if I walked to that house or I gained consciousness in that house. My body had strange clothes and villagers were searching for my relatives. There were a few policemen at a roadside dhaba along with a few people. When I reached there, my husband along with my sister-in-law were searching for other family members. My sister-in-law was so scared that she refused to recognise us and didn't let anyone come near her. In the darkness I saw two shadows, I saw my daughter and niece coming. I hugged both of them and for a long time I just cried my heart out. Some people put a quilt on their bodies, it's then I realized their bodies were semi naked."
She also added that police asked them to keep quiet "to save our honour" and made arrangements for travel.
Police are yet to verify the authenticity of the claims made but is in touch with the Foreigner Regional Registration Officer, Delhi, for details on arrivals from Australia during that period. They are also studying a video recording linked to Murthal riots.
Haryana Police, who were consistently denying media reports on rapes in Murthal during Jat riots, changed its stand following the two anonymous letters and filed an affidavit in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
DIG Rajshri who was heading the Murthal probe, had been denying the rapes, and she was replaced by another officer, Mamta Singh, this week
The affidavit, accessed by CNN-IBN, has details on efforts to trace eye witnesses who had appeared on TV channels alleging rape, namely Niranjan Singh, Dilbag Singh, Yadvender Singh and his brother Sukhwinder Singh. Of them, only Yadvender has joined the probe.
The rape probe was ordered by the state government after orders from the high court which took note of newspaper reports alleging sexual assault.
In February, when CNN-IBN visited the village, some people had hinted at sexual harassment, while others said no rapes took place.
The issue is a headache equally for the BJP government, which failed to control the mobs, and the opposition Congress, which is accused of instigating the Jat rioters.
The agitation left over 30 dead, cost the nation nearly Rs 20,000 crore, and affected the image of Haryana as an investment destination.
Comments
0 comment