Nearly a week before the incident, the victim’s sister alleged that she was being harassed and had filed a formal complaint. Days after a young woman was abducted, allegedly gangraped by her neighbours, and paraded on the streets in Shahdara, police have booked the accused in another case of molestation and assault on a complaint by the woman’s younger sister, who alleged that she was also sexually harassed and thrashed by them.
Police have arrested a man, eight women, and apprehended three boys — all from the same family — in connection with the gangrape case based on the victim’s complaint and videos that surfaced online. Their motive was personal enmity. Police said the family held her responsible for the death of one of their relatives — a teenager who was allegedly stalking the woman and proposed to her, which she rejected.
Nearly a week before the incident, the victim’s sister alleged she was being harassed and had filed a formal complaint. However, no action was taken by police at that time, she said.
On Saturday night, police registered a case against the arrested persons under sections of olestation, physical assault, criminal intimidation.
In her complaint, the sister wrote: “I was attacked and beaten up on January 19… We had an auto-rickshaw that they burnt down. I used to work at a shop… but (they) broke in and didn’t let me work. When I stay at home, their women come and thrash me. When I step out, they (men)… harass me. I am alone… sir, help me. These people say that they aren’t scared of police… (They) don’t let me work or earn any money. How am I supposed to run my house? I am in danger… They threaten me… izzat ki jaan ki…”
DCP (Shahdara district) R Sathiyasundaram said, “We found that the sister had filed a complaint; we have registered an FIR against the same persons. The matter is being investigated.”
The Indian Express also accessed the FIR that was registered on the complaint of the victim. In it, she said she knew the boy who lived near her house and later committed suicide. Following his death, she alleged, his family created a ruckus at her father’s and in-laws’ place.
“I was hiding because of this… A week ago, his (boy’s) family beat up my sister and were asking about my whereabouts… Today (January 26) around noon, my sister came to meet me… when (they) caught me. They dragged me on the road and made me sit in an auto. (They) chopped my hair with scissors. They were thrashing me and threatening to kill me. They took me to (Shahdara)…,” reads the complaint.
The woman alleged the boys raped her while the women sexually assaulted her.
“I was beaten up with sticks, slippers, a pipe and… they kicked me in the chest. They put black ink on my face and forced me to wear a garland of slippers… They paraded me in three lanes while beating me with slippers in front of everyone. They again took me to their house, forced me to lie down and kicked me. It started from 12 and went on till 1.30 pm…,” she alleged.
The woman was rescued after her sister and husband called police.
Police had said they have formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) under an ACP-rank officer to investigate the crime.
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