The Delhi Police has nabbed 11 persons of a family for the kidnapping, rape, and assault of a woman on Republic Day in the national capital’s Vivek Vihar area. 9 of the arrested persons are women.

The 21-year-old woman was reportedly abducted, gang-raped, and paraded on a street in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area on Wednesday. She had been hiding for the last one and a half months, after a juvenile who stalked her committed suicide and the latter’s relatives began threatening her.

Several videos showing the woman being paraded around in a humiliating condition circulated on social media. The accused cut the woman’s hair, garlanded her with shoes, and paraded her on the street.

The woman is married and the mother of a child. As per reports, she was being stalked by a local adolescent who eventually committed suicide in November last year. The woman was blamed by the youth’s relatives for his suicide. After constant harassment by the family, the woman had shifted to another house and had not shared her address with anyone except her sister and a visually impaired uncle.

On Wednesday, the victim’s sister had arrived at her new address to deliver some groceries when she found out that the accused family had followed her. The accused persons then grabbed the victim and forcefully took her to their house. When the sister had reached near the accused persons’ house she witnessed her sister being assaulted and paraded by the accused persons.

The victim’s complaint has mentioned that was sexually assaulted by men of the accused family while the woman watched and was later beaten, humiliated, and paraded on the street with her face blackened and a garland of shoes put on her neck.

The accused family is involved in the illegal liquor business

As per reports, the accused family who committed the crime is involved in a business of illegal liquor and many members have multiple cases lodged against them. One of the assaulters is also a history-sheeter and habitual offender. The criminal activities of the family were the main reason nobody in the neighbour tried to stop them, as per the reports.

Swati Maliwal, chairman of the Delhi Commission for Women, took cognizance of it on Thursday morning and filed a complaint with the police, demanding serious punishment.

“Illegal liquor vendors gang-raped a 20-year-old lady, shaved her head, garlanded her with slippers, and blackened her face. I’m sending a notification to the Delhi Police to arrest the culprits and provide security to the victim’s family…, “Swati Maliwal, the chairperson of DCW, stated in a tweet.

Among those who criticized the horrific event and ensuing public shaming were Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir.

“Have spoken to DCP Shahdara over barbaric assault on the 20-year-old woman. Some arrests have been made & more will follow. I assure you that these animals (men & women) will not be spared. Every kind of support will be provided to the survivor,” Gautam Gambhir tweeted.

Officials said that during their interrogation, those accused in police custody stated that they committed the sexual assault and subsequent public humiliation in order to slander the woman.

References:

opindia.com - OpIndia Staff