New Delhi: The Delhi Police has registered two FIRs in the Shahdara sexual assault case against two people for giving a communal colour to it, an official said here on Monday January 31.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) R Sathiyasundaram told IANS that the FIRs were registered on the tweet of two accounts bearing the names SukhPreet Slatch and StarRegards.
The incident happened on January 26, when the 20-year-old victim was allegedly attacked by a group of people, including women, who chopped off her hair, tore her clothes, blackened her face, and then paraded her on the streets of Shahdara area. The woman was also gang raped in a house in the same area.
In a controversial tweet, the accused had blamed the Delhi Police for not taking the victim of the assault to a hospital. “…….found in a critical state but Delhi Police didn’t take her to hospital,” read the tweet.
The DCP said that the FIRs were registered on Monday under sections 153, 153 A, 505 (b)(c) of the Indian Penal Code at Vivek Vihar Police Station.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police debunked rumours about victim committing suicide. “Social media post regarding suicide of victim girl is false and a rumour,” Sathiyasundaram informed IANS.He said that police officers had met the girl on Monday morning and she was doing fine.
The Delhi Police has so far arrested 12 people in the case, including 8 women and three male minors who sexually assaulted the victim. The DCP informed that a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT ) under an ACP rank officer has also been formed for speedy and proper investigation of the crime.
Soon after the incident, a video in which the victim was being paraded on the streets with a blackened face and the mob cheering in the background went viral on social media forcing the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) to take suo-motu cognizance of the incident. In the video, which was also shared by DCW chief Swati Maliwal, the victim was seen with a garland of slippers.
Maliwal had issued a notice to the Delhi Police in connection with the matter and said that it was the most unfortunate incident that was reported from the national capital. “A woman was gang raped by the accused, who deals in illicit liquor business. She was made to wear a garland of shoes. Her face was blackened and she was paraded in the area. Most unfortunate incident. I am writing to Delhi Police to provide security to the woman and her family and take strong action against the accused,” said Maliwal. Maliwal, along with her team, met the victim at the hospital and assured all help to her.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also, on that day, reacted to the horrific incident and asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to instruct Delhi Police to take strict action against all the accused. “This is very shameful. How did the criminals get so courageous? I urge the Union Home Minister and the Lieutenant Governor to instruct the police to take strict action and pay attention to the law and order situation. Delhiites will not tolerate such heinous crime and criminals at any cost,” Kejriwal had said in a tweet.
