Alwar police reportedly refused to file a case in a gang-rape case due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Activists have now asked for a case to be filed against the officers.
The victim's husband said that the rape took place on April 26 and was reported to the police on April 30. However, the FIR was filed only on May 7. Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan took place in two phases – April 29 and May 6.
The six accused are Mahesh Gurjar, Hansraj Gurjar, Indra Raj Gurjar, Chhote Lal Gurjar, Ashok Gurjar and Mukesh Gurjar.
"I have asked that negligent police officers should be booked under section 4 of SC/ST Act, charge sheet should be filed within 15 days and the case should be monitored daily," L Murgan, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes' vice chairman, was quoted as saying by PTI.
Alwar police chief Rajiv Pachar was removed from his post by the Rajasthan government for his role in not filing the FIR on time. Another police officer, Sardar Singh, has been suspended. Singh was present at the police station when the victim had gone to file her complaint, reports NDTV.
While the police justified themselves saying that all six of the accused were arrested, activists were not happy with their carelessness and them not prioritizing the woman and her case.
What happened on April 26?
On the night of April 26, the woman and her husband were on a bike when they were stopped by the accused and forcefully dragged to a nearby field. The man was beaten up severely and his wife was gang-raped. In addition to this, the entire act was filmed on a mobile phone.
After the victim approached the police, one of the accused, Mukesh Gurjar, had blackmailed her for money in exchange for not uploading the video on social media.