Rewari gang rape: NCW says police didn't act promptly to arrest accused

The police did not act take prompt action in the Rewari gang rape case to trace and arrest the accused and did not seal the crime scene, which may have led to destruction of evidence, a fact-finding team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) said on Thursday.

The three-member team was sent to Rewari to take stock of the probe into the gang rape of a 19-year-old woman.

A school topper from the district who had been felicitated by the government, the woman was abducted from a bus stop in Kanina town of neighbouring Mahendragarh last week on her way to a coaching class.

She was allegedly drugged and raped by three men at a room housing a tubewell for irrigation.

"The zero FIR was lodged at 3.30 am on September 13. However, the FIR was transferred only at 7.15 pm on September 13, therefore, there was a delay on the part of Rewari police in taking prompt action to trace and arrest the alleged accused," the team said.

A zero FIR can be filed at any police station and can later be transferred to the police station concerned.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said suspension of sub-inspector of women's police station in Rewari would not solve the issue of the delay.

"The person would come back to service after some time. There needs to be stricter action," she told PTI.

The fact-finding team also found that the crime scene was not sealed, which may have led to destruction of evidence.

"It may amount to destruction of evidence," the NCW report said.

When the issue was taken up with the SIT (Special Investigation Team), the fact-finding team was informed that the forensic team has already collected the samples and the proper procedure had been followed, it added.

Sharma said the SIT decided to seal the scene after the commission's persuasion.

Another issue flagged by the team was the lack of privacy given to the victim.

"The victim is being treated in a general maternity ward with lots of patients (coming) throughout the day and people were walking in and out, which results in discomfort to the victim and family," the report said.

Sharma said it was "traumatic" for the victim.

"There was a constant flow of public to the hospital and the victim, who was already traumatised, there was no privacy for her," she said.

She added that now a counsellor had been provided to her, who will be with the woman 24 hours.