13 years after Nirbhaya, another December: Faridabad woman gangraped in moving van, two held

Faridabad, Dec 31 (PTI) A woman was allegedly gangraped in a moving van through the night and thrown out of the speeding vehicle, suffering serious head and facial injuries, on a desolate road by two men who have since been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

The assault of the mother of three, which brings back the horror of the Nirbhaya rape on another cold December night 13 years ago, took place in the early hours of Tuesday on the winding, little populated Gurgaon-Faridabad, officials said.

Faridabad police produced the two accused, one from Uttar Pradesh and the other from Madhya Pradesh, in a city court on Wednesday and sent them into judicial custody, they said.

The 25-year-old, who had been living at her parents’ home after troubles with her husband, suffered severe injuries to head and her face, which required more than 12 stitches. She has been admitted to a private hospital in Faridabad, adjoining the national capital.

Her condition is critical, and she is not yet fit to record a statement, a police official said.

Recapping what had happened, police said the two men, who live in Faridabad, offered her a lift while she was waiting for transport. Instead of taking her to her destination, however, the two men drove towards Gurugram and raped her inside the van.

She was driven around through the night and thrown out of the vehicle that was moving at a speed of over 90 kmph near Raja Chowk in Faridabad around 3 am. Bleeding profusely, the woman managed to call her sister, who reached the spot and took her to the Badshah Khan Civil Hospital.

Given the seriousness of her injuries, the doctors advised that she be taken to Delhi, but the family admitted her to the private hospital. A doctor at the hospital said she had suffered significant injuries, including broken facial cavities and a dislocated shoulder.

“Preparations are underway for surgery and the woman is out of danger. It appears the injuries were caused by a hard object or by being thrown onto the road. Samples have been sent to the FSL for examination by police,” he said.

The sister said in her complaint that the woman was seriously injured after she was thrown out of the vehicle. “Considering her condition, we decided to admit her to a private hospital,” the survivor’s sister said.

According to the complaint, the 25-year-old had gone to her friend's house in Sector 23 on Monday evening and was returning home when she was offered a lift by the accused.

The two men are not known to the woman.

The van used in the crime has been seized, and the accused have confessed to the offence, police said.

“Due to the TIP (Test Identification Parade) process, the names and photos of the accused cannot be revealed at this time. A further probe is underway,” said Yashpal Yadav, a spokesperson for the Faridabad police.

The horrific incident has exposed the failure of law and order in BJP-ruled Haryana, state Congress president Rao Narendra Singh said “Women feel unsafe and criminals are emboldened under the BJP rule,” he alleged.

He added that the incident raises serious questions about women's safety in the state, and blamed the police administration for failing to prevent such crimes.

He also demanded a fast-track trial of the case, and sought adequate compensation and full security for the victim, besides a high-level probe and strict action against the responsible officials.

“There should be no compromise on the safety of Haryana's daughters. The BJP government must take moral responsibility for this incident,” the Congress leader said.

Exactly 12 years ago in December 2012, a young physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, the fearless one, was brutally gangraped in a moving bus and thrown out near the Delhi airport, her injuries so grievous that she died 13 days later in a Singapore hospital.

The case led to an overhaul of rape laws in the country. PTI COR VSD MIN MIN MIN