Guj HC issues notice to govt on Naliya gangrape victim's plea

The Gujarat High Court today issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by the Naliya rape victim seeking transfer of the probe of the case to an agency headed by officers from outside Kutch.
The court of Justice J B Pardiwala issued notice to the state government and kept the matter for further hearing on March 31.
The 24-year-old woman from Naliya town in Kutch district had in her FIR filed in February said that she was raped by nine persons on different occasions about a year ago.
The matter is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team formed by the state government which arrested eight persons, including four local BJP leaders, even as the main accused remains at large.

The CID Crime is also monitoring the case.
In her petition, the woman said that she does not trust investigations being carried out by the officials who are part of the SIT as they are from Kutch district and could sabotage investigation under the influence of local politicians.

She sought court's direction to the state government to transfer the investigation to either the CID (Crime) or the CBI, so that local police do not have much say in the investigation.
She also prayed the court's direction to have the investigation agency being preferably headed by a lady officer.
The victim said the police have not lodged FIR against two women that she had named as Payal and Bhabhi, and also sought FIR against people who disclosed her identity.

The woman in her FIR had alleged that the accused made a video of the act and raped her on several occasions by threatening to circulate the video clip.
She had alleged that the accused used to run a sex racket in Kutch district and blackmail the victims.