Rohtak Gang Rape: Amid Conflicting Versions, In Search of Truth

Conflicting statements and accusations and counter-accusations of blackmail turn matters murky in the Rohtak case.

(Photo: The Quint/Hardeep Singh)

The Rohtak gang rape case is becoming complicated with every passing day.

The family of the accused men are alleging that the rape survivor’s family had blackmailed them for money in return for withdrawing the case.

On the other hand, the rape survivor’s family is alleging that they were repeatedly intimidated by the accused’s family.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is looking at CCTV footage which shows the accused were not in Rohtak at the time of the crime. The police have also confirmed that the rape survivor was accompanied by two men as she checked into a hotel on the day of the crime.

So what’s the truth? The Quint investigated the events in Rohtak and found that the truth was neither black or white, but a steely shade of grey.

We present to you the facts we have uncovered, the testimonies we heard and the progress the police investigation has made.

‘A New Version of Events’

On 25 July 2016, the police named two men in relation to the case, and arrested one. It also said that after this development, it is possible that the five men who had been accused of a gang rape in 2013 and in 2015 will be given a clean chit.

The man who has been arrested has confessed that he had physical relations with the rape survivor. Whether her consent was taken for the same, that needs to be investigated.

DSP Pushpa Khatri, Special Investigation Team 

This is what we know about the two men.

Sandeep is a businessman in Rohtak and Pramod is an official in the Health department and both of them were allegedly in contact with the rape survivor on the day of the incident on 13 July.

The police has confirmed that three of them went to the hotel, on the basis of the registration at the hotel which required an ID card.

At this point, it is also known that the rape survivor and the two men exited the hotel together. However, the police is still investigating whether the arrested men knew the rape survivor from before.

My sister identified 5 main accused who had raped her that day. After that, she doesn’t know who she was with in a drugged state. The new story is entirely fabricated by the police and we don’t believe there is any truth in this. 

Rape Survivor’s Brother

What Happened: A Timeline

The 21-year-old student registered a case with the city magistrate, Khushboo Goyal on 13 July 2016 under Section-164 of the CrPC, according to the police.

She alleged that she had been gang raped by five men (Amit, Jagmoha, Sandeep, Mausam, and Akash) who were also responsible for gang raping her in October in 2013.

According to her, on 13th July, the accused had kidnapped her between Ambedkar Chowk and IC College in Rohtak and raped her. Then, she was allegedly dumped in a drugged state on the Rohtak-Gohaan bypass highway.

(Photo: Google Maps)

The rape survivor was admitted in the PGI hospital in a drugged state. According to sources, in her testimony the survivor was unable to remember the colour of the car or the number plate.

The relatives of the five accused denied all charges, and marched to Jantar Mantar with around 500 people. They declared that if their children were wrongly accused in the case, they would commit self-immolation.

Families of the accused protesting against the case. (Photo: The Quint)

Two Families, Two Different Truths

When the gangrape took place again, the 3 accused were summoned by the Chandigarh High Court. The other two accused were out on bail. They had planned beforehand that they would rape my sister again. Amit and Jagmohan forcefully drugged my sister and then tried to strangle her as well. After the gang rape, all five of them dumped her near the Power House on Gauhana Road and then left the scene.  

Elder Brother of the Rape Survivor

The rape survivor was kept in the PGI Hospital under strict supervision of the doctors. (Photo: The Quint)

Out of the five accused, Jagmohan, Amit and Mausam belong to the Jat community. Akash and Sandeep are Dailts and all five are from a village in the Bhiwani district.

Their families claim that the accused didn’t know each other from before, had been wrongfully accused in 2013, and were being targeted again.

We have evidence that the rape survivor is lying. When the gangrape took place, the alleged accused were not in Rohtak, as can be seen from their mobile phone locations. We even have CCTV footgae in which the accused were at some other place at the time of the crime. 

Jagmohan’s Younger Brother and Sandeep’s Wife

The rape survivor’s family has said that the accused and their family are lying. (Photo: Prashant Chahal/The Quint)

The CCTV footage submitted by the accused’s family is under investigation, says DSP Pushpa Khatri.

Apart from this, she says that some anonymous witnesses have come forward who are ready to testify that the accused were not in Rohtak during the time of the gang rape.

What About the Court Case in 2013?

In 2015, Bhiwani court sessions judge Gurvinder Kaur refused to accept the five accused in 2015 and in 2013 in the case as ‘guilty of a gangrape’.

Six pages of the court order in 2013, which has been challenged by the rape survivor in Chandigarh High Court. The hearing is awaited. (Photo: The Quint)

The sessions judge said that the rape survivor had changed her statement many times in 2013, and that it is difficult to ascertain what the truth is among many versions.

The rape survivor submitted a plea to include the names of Akash, Sandeep and Mausam as three accused in the gang rape a long time after the case was registered. The plea was filed according to Section 319 of the CrPc.

From 24 October 2013 to 11 November 2013, the rape survivor gave different testimonies about the date of the gang rape, the location and the names of the men involved in the gang rape.

The Blackmail Angle

According to the Rohtak police, there is a blackmail angle of around Rs. 50 lakhs involved in this case. Both parties have submitted a police case regarding this.

The family of the rape survivor says that the accused pressurized them to take Rs. 50 lakh and withdraw the case.

The accused’s family meanwhile claims that the rape survivor’s family has been demanding money from them for the past two years.

Supporters of the rape survivor’s family are protesting in front of the police station. (Photo: Prashant Chahal/The Quint)

The relatives of the accused have intimidated us many times. The accused’s family offered us Rs. 50 lakh to withdraw the case, but we refused. For us, it is a fight for our honour. 

Elder brother of the rape survivor

The rape survivor’s family came to my brother’s business partner many times in recent times to demand money. 

Accused Jagmohan’s younger brother 

(Translated from Hindi by Maanvi)