Nine years ago, over 45 women were allegedly gang-raped at Kajligarh Fort in two years
Bhopal:
In the wake of a recent robbery and alleged gang-rape at Jam Gate, a popular tourist spot near Indore, disturbing details from a similar case at Kajligarh Fort have emerged. Nine years ago, over 45 women were allegedly gang-raped at Kajligarh Fort during a period of two years.
Although the Jam Gate incident has raised concerns, Indore Rural Superintendent of Police Hitika Vasal has said the two incidents are not connected.
A public interest petition (PIL) was filed in the Indore bench of the high court on the Kajligarh gang-rape cases. However, many are questioning why the government dismissed the police reports on such a serious matter.
The main accused in the Kajligarh cases had admitted to the crime, but no substantial action was taken. Similar to the Jam Gate incident, the survivors from the Kajligarh cases have refused to file police cases, raising further concerns about the handling of these cases.
In 2015, a group of BTech students visiting Kajligarh Fort were assaulted by members of a gang, which led to a police complaint being filed at Simrol. Despite an investigation, the accused escaped. However, soon after, the police discovered that some young men were spending large amount of money and flaunting expensive mobile phones. When detained and questioned, the police uncovered shocking links to multiple crimes.
After interrogation, the gang members including key suspects Sanjay Katara and Karan Dawar were arrested, while a minor was detained.
The gang’s leader later revealed the gang’s involvement in at least 45 gang-rape cases over two years. They admitted the gang looted couples at the deserted Kajligarh Fort to fuel their drug habits.
The police reached out to some of the survivors, but they refused to file complaints, possibly due to fear or trauma. A petition was filed in the Indore bench of the high court, demanding action against officials responsible for not following up the cases. But no conclusive measures have been taken yet.
The Jam Gate Incident
In a chillingly similar manner, a robbery and alleged gang-rape took place at Jam Gate, another scenic location near Indore, on Tuesday night. Two trainee army officers and their female friend were attacked by armed miscreants, who came with the intent of looting.
Though the army officers were severely beaten up, they have given statements to the police. The woman who alleged gang-rape remains too shocked to give a statement. The key suspect in this case has been arrested and investigation is on to uncover more details, the police said.
“We have tried several times to record the woman’s statement, but she is not yet ready. It is difficult to proceed until her statement is recorded,” Superintendent of Police Hitika Vasal said.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the Jam Gate incident, all of whom have a history of serious criminal activity. They are: Anil Baror, 27, the mastermind behind the crime, with previous charges of extortion, robbery, and family disputes; Pawan Bansuniya, 23, accused of smuggling banned liquor and robbery; Ritesh Bhabhar, 25, a mastermind with serious charges, including murder; Rohit Girwal, Sandeep Waria, and Sachin Makwana, all three with criminal history.
On the Kajligarh Fort gang-rape cases, former Indore West Superintendent of Police and Indian Police Service (IPS) officer D Kalyan Chakraborty shed light on the investigation process. They said while arrests were made and a first information report (FIR) was filed under sections on rape, the case was marred by the reluctance of the survivors to come forward.
Mr Chakraborty said while he couldn’t provide detailed information without reviewing the records, he recalled that the case had indeed come to his attention during his tenure. The police had arrested several accused, and one-two key suspects had been taken into custody. Some of the accused had confessed to the crime, but a significant obstacle in the investigation was the absence of complaints from the survivors themselves.
“The accused were arrested, and an FIR was filed under the sections of rape. However, the major challenge was that no survivor was willing to file complaints. We had to rely on information and leads during the investigation,” Mr Chakraborty said.
He said despite the lack of direct complaints, two-three survivors eventually came forward, which enabled the police to file the FIR. Following this, a thorough investigation was conducted, leading to the identification and prosecution of the accused.
“The investigation was done based on the information we had, and two-three survivors did step forward… The accused were found guilty, arrested, and a chargesheet was filed in the case,” he said.