Five rape cases have been filed with the police where five women were allegedly gang raped by the rioters, following communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The police started investigating the complaints and so far about 17 people have been detained under suspicion three of the five alleged rapes.
The rape survivors who are married and in their 40s have complained that three weeks ago during the violence, rioters gang raped them before burning the houses down. The survivors also claimed to know their attackers.
"There are five complaints which are under investigation. We are probing it in the most impartial way and we will take action," Harinarayan Singh, a senior Muzaffarnagar police officer said.
Kalpana Saxena, SP (Crime), Muzaffarnagar told media that the matter has been transferred to the special investigation team of Uttar Pradesh police. She also said that police have hundreds of complaints related to the riot that are yet to be examined.
"We are receiving complaints from all over Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and other districts. Since Fugana is one of the worst-hit areas in the district, it also has the highest number of complaints," the New Indian Express quoted Saxena as saying.
Weeks ago communal clashes ignited at Muzaffarnagar as a result of which more than 50 people died and many were injured. The attackers burnt down the houses of most of the villages in the district, which left more than 40,000 people homeless. The homeless people have been living in relief camps since then.
Thousands of people living in the tents refused to go back to their villages out of fear and many said that their relatives and dear ones were killed by their own neighbours.
After the clash rocked the district of Muzaffarnagar, police arrested three MLAs and many others have been booked under charges for inciting the violence.
