A deeply disturbing case has emerged from Sriganganagar in Rajasthan, where 32 men allegedly gang-raped a 13-year-old girl. The case sparked outrage as soon as it came to light, with residents taking to the streets in protest. Under mounting public pressure, the administration today ran bulldozers over the three hotels where the girl was allegedly subjected to the assaults.
How the ordeal began
According to the investigation, an e-rickshaw driver kidnapped the girl on June 18. He allegedly raped her himself before selling her to hotel operators. Over the next five days, the girl was allegedly held in three separate hotels, where she was repeatedly gang-raped.
Public anger over the police's slow response
Police rescued the girl from one of the hotels on June 23, and 12 people were arrested at the time. But the investigation lost momentum after that, with police failing to move quickly against the remaining accused. This lack of urgency angered residents of Sriganganagar, who demanded that everyone involved in the crime be arrested without delay and that the hotels where it occurred be torn down.
Administration acts under pressure, bulldozers roll in
The administration initially stayed silent, but as public anger grew, bulldozers were run over all three hotels last night. Today, the Sriganganagar Superintendent of Police assured that the remaining accused in the case would also be arrested at the earliest. He said the case would be moved to a fast track court so that the guilty could be given the strictest possible punishment as soon as possible.
A similar case in Udaipur earlier this year
This is not the first such case to emerge from Rajasthan. A gang rape case also occurred in Udaipur in January this year. A young woman from Maharashtra had been called to Udaipur in connection with an event. After she arrived, she was taken to a farmhouse, where the accused threw a liquor party. While she was intoxicated, the accused and one of his associates raped her.
