Ramol gang rape: DGP seeks report, cops face action

AHMEDABAD: DGP Shivanand Jha has sought a report from the city police chief, AK Singh, on why no action was taken against the accused in the alleged gang rape case despite the girl naming the accused a week ago. Ramol cops acted only after the 19-year-old girl died on Thursday. Police arrested Ankit Parekh, who is allegedly a member of the student wing of a political party, and Chirag Vaghela. After Friday night’s arrests, police on Saturday picked up four more persons for questioning because their numbers were found in the mobile phone of the girl.
Inspector K S Dave of the Ramol police station said that police have identified the guest house where the accused used to take the girl. “We have taken Ankit and Chirag to Sangam Guest House,” Dave said. “We have found two entries for them in June and July 2018 on the guest house register.” Police officials said they have formed three teams to probe the case. “While two teams are hunting for the remaining two accused, Hardik Shukla and a boy named Raj, the third team is working on scientific evidence,” a police official said.
Local cops had come under heavy fire for not acting in time and not taking any action in the case for 40 days. Sources said three local police personnel were shielding the accused. According to sources, there is a strong possibility that strict departmental action will be taken against the local police for laxity. The 19-year-old girl was gang-raped by four persons in June 2018. They lured her with the prospect of helping her pass the first-year ATKT exam. The parents of the girl came to know about the rape when she became pregnant.
The girl took an overdose of pills to abort the foetus. That made her sick and she was first taken to LG hospital and then to Civil Hospital. However, overdosing had fatally damaged her kidney.