Police have arrested three of the five accused in the Alwar gang-rape case of April 26, which has caused widespread outrage in Rajasthan because of video-recording of the crime and the release of footage on social media.

The State government shunted out Alwar Superintendent of Police Rajiv Pachar late on Tuesday night following allegations of “failure to take prompt action in the matter”. The Station House Officer of Thanagazi police station, Sardar Singh, was also suspended and four policemen were sent to the Police Lines as a disciplinary action.

Those arrested were identified as Indraraj Gujjar, Ashok and Mukesh, while two of the accused were absconding. Inspector General of Police (Jaipur Range) S. Sengathir said here on Wednesday that Mukesh, additionally charged under the Information Technology Act, had recorded the crime and uploaded the videos on social media.

Mr. Sengathir said 14 police teams had spread out to different areas and launched the hunt for the remaining accused. The victim – a Dalit woman – was allegedly raped in front of her husband after the couple was waylaid on the Thanagazi-Alwar bypass road and dragged to a deserted area.

The State government has released an interim relief of ₹4.12 lakh for the victim under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The first information report in connection with the crime was also registered on May 2 under the SC/ST Act and Section 376-D (gang rape) of Indian Penal Code.

Protests erupted in Thanagazi on Wednesday as residents blocked the Alwar-Jaipur State highway demanding immediate arrest of all the accused. In Jaipur, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kiroril Lal Meena led a protest march to the Chief Minister's residence. Police stopped the march at the Civil Lines railway crossing.

BJP State president Madan Lal Saini alleged that the Alwar police had “deliberately delayed” action because of the May 6 polling for the Lok Sabha election.