Villagers seek speedy justice for youths ‘wrongly’ held for Mewat rape-murders

Gurugram: Around a week after the Punjab and Haryana high court granted interim bail to four youths, who were “wrongly framed” by police for their alleged role in Dingerheri gang rapes and double murder, residents of Mewat village sought strict action against the erring cops. On Monday, Sohna-Taouru MLA Tejpal Singh Tanwar visited the youths and informed them that he would take up the issue with the chief minister and ensure all possible steps for speedy delivery of justice.
“Families of the four youths have been shattered, and they want punishment for all erring cops who went ahead making hasty arrests. This is not just these families’ demand, but is need of the hour to ensure justice for all. They have got interim bail, and a clean chit from the CBI, but their ordeal doesn’t end there. I will take up this matter with the CM and ensure that the police officers involved get strict punishment,” Tanwar said.

Families of the four youths alleged that their future had been ruined by cops. “We want the Haryana government that was too eager to publicise their arrests to come forward and ensure speedy justice,” said Karamjeet Yadav, a relative of one of the four youths.

Earlier, local MP and Union minister Rao Inderjeet Singh had also demanded an inquiry against the erring cops and those who tried to communalise the issue. The minister also said in an official statement that he would write to Union home minister Rajnath Singh, seeking strict action against the cops.

The youths were arrested after a 40-year-old farmer and his wife were beaten to death and their two nieces were raped by a gang of four armed men, who barged into their home in Dingerheri village of Nuh district in Mewat off the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway on the intervening night of August 24 and 25 in 2016. A special investigation team led by former IG (Rewari) arrested the accused within four days of the crime, triggering resentment among villagers who alleged that the cops had nabbed the youths and made them the accused in a haste. The case was then transferred to CBI for probe. Finally, on December 5, 2016, the CBI took over the investigation.

The case almost fell flat after four others — Hemant Chauhan, Ayan Chauhan, Vinay alias Lambu and Jai Bhagwan of ‘Axle gang’— arrested by a police team led by inspector Yashwant Yadav on September 13, 2017, confessed to their involvement in Dingerheri gang rape and murders. Later, a chargesheet was also submitted against them in the special CBI court in Panchkula.