Morni gang-rape: Victim's husband arrested for immoral trafficking

In a major twist in the investigation of a gang-rape of a 22-year-old married woman, who had alleged that around 40 men had raped her over four days in a guest house in Morni hills area of Haryana's Panchkula district, police on Wednesday arrested her husband on charges of immoral trafficking.

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police R.K. Meena told media in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, that the woman's husband has been booked under various provisions of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act after investigations done by the special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the Haryana Police revealed other angles to the gang-rape story.

The husband was on Wednesday produced in a local court in Panchkula which sent him to three days' police custody.

Police claim that two other persons arrested earlier were involved in an organized sex trade in the area. Investigators hinted that other women and men could be involved in the sex racket.

The young woman from Chandigarh's Mani Majra suburb had alleged last week that she was taken to the guest house by a man known to her husband on the pretext of getting her a job in the guest house.

"During in depth probe, the SIT came to know there were other angles to the case," Meena said.

Police investigators found a number of loopholes inn the statements of the victim, her husband and other men arrested in connection with the gang-rape case.

Police found records of calls made by the victim to her husband and calls between the husband and the main accused, Sunny, during the four day period of July 15 to 18 when the woman alleged that she was gang-raped in captivity.

Meena refused to say anything at this stage on whether the whole case will remain as that of gang-rape or be converted into a case of immoral trafficking and sex racket. He said that the past history of the victim's husband was being investigated.

The Chandigarh and Haryana Police had earlier made 10 arrests in the gang rape case.

A case was registered by the Chandigarh Police at the Mani Majra after the Haryana Police refused to register the rape case at the Morni police station. After the matter came to light, the Haryana Police suspended the Morni Police Post In-charge, a constable and a Woman ASI (assistant sub inspector) of Women Police Station, Panchkula.

An Assistant Commissioner of Police was also transferred.

An investigation was ordered into the gang-rape incident and the failure of the Haryana Police to register a case when the victim went to complain in Morni.

--IANS

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