The local government of north India’s Haryana on Friday formed a four-member committee to probe gang rape allegations that were reported during the recent caste protests in state.
“Government is taking the reported incident of gang rape with women near a dhaba (makeshift restaurant) at Murthal in Sonepat district seriously and has constituted a four member committee headed by a Deputy Inspector General (police) to probe the incident,” Haryana Police Chief Yash Pal Singhal said during a press conference in Chandigarh.
The news report about gang rape of women appeared in a Chandigarh based local English daily – The Tribune. According to the newspaper, at least 10 women passengers were dragged out of vehicles into the nearby fields and raped. The newspaper alleged that the victims and their families were advised by the district officials not to report the matter to anyone “for the sake of their honour”.
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However, police has rejected newspaper report and said they have not received information about the gang rape.
“District authorities have not reported any such incident and nobody has come personally to police with any complaint,” Singhal said. “The committee formed now include three women police officers and they will stay at Sonepat during the probe so that victims of alleged sexual assault can approach them for complaint. ”
Singhal appealing for leads in the case said that the identity of complainant women would not be disclosed.
