We must hang our heads in shame: Rahul Gandhi on gangrape of Haryana woman by 40 men

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has said that “we must hang our heads in shame” over alleged gangrape of a woman by 40 men in Panhckula in Haryana. The Congress chief said that incident and “shocked and disgusted” him.

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said, “The rape of a young woman in Haryana, by 40 men, has shocked & disgusted me. Ironically, today in Parliament, I had drawn attention to the issue of growing violence against woman. As a nation, we must hang our heads in shame, for our inability to protect this daughter of India.”

According to a complaint filed by the woman with the Chandigarh police, she was held captive in a guest house for four days and allegedly gangraped by 40 men. She alleged that she was held captive in a guest house in Morni hills from July 15 to 18, reported news agency PTI.

The woman said that she knew one of the accused, who had promised to get her a job at the guest house where she was allegedly gangraped. The police arrested two guest house staffers in the connection, Station House Officer of Manimajra Police Station Ranjit Singh said, adding that a case had been registered and further investigations were underway.

The Panchkula Police have also set up a Special Investigation Team under IPS officer Anshu Singla, who is currently posted as ASP, to probe the matter. Panchkula Police DCP Rajendar Kumar Meena said three police personnel - two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASI), including a woman officer, and a constable - have been placed under suspension for negligence in the matter and failing to inform higher officials about the incident.

"They have been suspended for negligence in dealing with the it, failing to proactively pursue the matter and not informing senior officers in the sensitive matter," he said. "The case is being transferred to Panchkula police from Chandigarh," Meena told PTI.

Dismissing reports that the woman had approached the Chandigarh Police after their Haryana counterpart failed to address her complaint, the DCP said, "This is not true. She went to Chandigarh Police as someone had told her that it would be easy for her to do so as she lived in Chandigarh."