Rewari Gangrape: 2 of 3 accused on the run; SIT proud, Khattar silent

Almost 4 days after a 19-year-old girl lodged an FIR in the horrific Rewari gang-rape case, the SIT finally arrested one of the three main accused from a location they refused to disclose.

Nishu Phogat who is one of the three accused identified by the rape survivor in her FIR was picked up by the SIT late into the evening on September 16.

Superintendent of Police Nazneen Bhasin who is heading the SIT briefed the media shortly after 8:00 pm on September 16 evening stating that she was “proud to inform” that one of the 3 accused had finally been nabbed.

Although this new development is no doubt significant, it comes a little too late in the midst of immense media pressure on the Haryana government. Naturally, the pressure is consequently trickling down on the Haryana police from the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar himself who seems to have finally woken up to take stock of the situation.

READ | Rewari Gangrape Case: 80 Hours Later, Arrest Warrant Issued Against 3 Identified Accused Even As Haryana CM Khattar Ducks Questions And His MLA Blames Rapes On 'unemployment'

Hours before the arrest was announced, Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled his plans and summoned Haryana DGP BS Sandhu to apprise him of the situation on the ground. Sources within the CMO say that Sandhu was pulled up by the Chief Minister in the meeting that went on for “much longer than expected”.

Khattar, who has been at the receiving end of immense criticism for his comments on the issue of rape in the past, is yet to visit Rewari and the rape survivor. Although he has indulged in gestures of “goodwill” towards the grieving family - the Haryana government sent across a cheque of Rs. 2 lakh to the rape survivor’s mother and also offered that the girl be shifted to a private hospital - 4 nights and 3 days after she was admitted in the government hospital in Rewari.

Both of these gestures have been outrightly rejected by the survivor’s family who say they only want justice for their daughter - something that the Khattar government constantly fails to realise. 

As the survivor continues to fight her trauma in the poorly run government hospital in Rewari, the nation is now demanding answers from the administration in Haryana while two of the three main accused still remain at large and possibly many more remain unidentified.

READ | WATCH: Special Investigation Team Arrests Three, Including Main Accused Nishu Phogat In Rewari Gangrape Case 

(The author has reported on-ground from Rewari since the incident came to light)