The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police on Monday arrested the main accused and two others in connection with the gang rape of a teenager and her mother at gunpoint on the NH-91 Delhi-Kanpur highway in the state's Bulandshahr district on July 29.
UP Director General of Police (DGP) Javeed Ahmed said in a tweet on Monday night: "remaining three accused in Bulandshahr case arrested after week long chase across east India." The three accused, including mastermind Salim Bawaria, were reportedly arrested from the Mawana area of the district of Meerut around 10 p.m.
Media reports suggest that the accused belonged to a tribal group called the Bawaria gang involved in robberies. The three of them have been under the surveillance of the police for five months for their alleged involvement in other crimes.
"The 15-member gang was active in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. They were also involved in a dacoity in Hanumangarh area of Rajasthan," a senior police officer told the Indian Express, adding that the accused belong to the Chaimaar community from Rajasthan.
The Allahabad High Court has also asked the state government if it wants to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A division bench of Chief Justice Dilip B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Varma have asked for a reply by Aug. 10 along with a report on the status of the investigation so far.
Meanwhile, the Lucknow bench of the high court heard a PIL, filed by NGO "We The People," seeking a CBI investigation into the incident on Monday and directed the state government to file an affidavit within a week. The next hearing is on Aug. 22, the daily reported.
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had, on Aug 5, announced a compensation of Rs. 3 lakh and a flat each for the two victims.
