Gurugram police set up SIT, 14 days after alleged rape and murder of 13 year old girl

SIT Image Courtesy:timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Two weeks after a 13-year-old died under suspicious circumstances, allegedly after a brutal rape, in Chokhar ki Dhani near Hayatpur village, the Gurugram Police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the case. According to a report in The Tribune, the main accused who had been “nabbed earlier was again produced in a city court and SIT took him again on a six-day police remand”. The victim’s father alleged that three persons were involved, however, the police reportedly “have no clue about the other accused yet.”

The 13-year-old lived with her family in Narela, Delhi, but died under mysterious circumstances in Chokhar ki Dhani near Hayatpur village on August 23. According to news reports, the girl was brought to Gurugram by her landlord’s wife who wanted the girl to work as a nanny to a relative’s newborn son. The victim’s father told the media that after the 13-year-old had died, the landlord “was in a hurry to get the last rites done”. He further said, “But I suspected that they had killed my daughter. So, I got the postmortem done. The postmortem report now revealed that my daughter was not only raped by the accused but was also thrashed by them as her nose was found broken in the postmortem report. Gurugram police nabbed one accused so far but I want other accused to be nabbed also.”

The father has also alleged in the FIR that the landlord’s brother-in-law identified as one Praveen Verma, along with others, killed his daughter. Praveen Verma has been arrested, stated media reports. The victim’s father had made a PCR call “when the accused allegedly tried to force the family to cremate the body.” Reports cite the FIR based on the father’s complaint as saying, “On July 17, my landlord’s wife said that her sister-in-law had given birth to a child and she was taking my daughter along with her to her brother’s home in Gurgaon. She also said that my daughter would stay there and could play with the daughter of her brother.”

On August 23, the victim’s father was informed by his landlord that his daughter was dead. The FIR added that “they took the body in a private ambulance to the girl’s Narela residence for cremation.” However, the father got suspicious, and called the police emergency number. “Narela police station staff reached the spot, and took the body to the Babu Jagjivan Ram hospital in Jahangirpuri,” stated the FIR as quoted in news reports.

The Gurgaon Police reportedly registered a case under Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and SC/ST Act. It was reported that additional “sections were added in the FIR after the postmortem report confirmed sexual assault, and Verma was arrested.”