A video circulating online of a 15-year-old girl in India walking home naked after being allegedly gang-raped has sparked online outrage towards the police’s “laid back” investigation.
The teen was reportedly returning home at around 8 p.m. on Sept. 1 after having gone to a fair with a friend when five men on bikes allegedly kidnapped her and took her to a forest in Saidpur Khadar, Moradabad.
The men allegedly took turns raping the girl. A man in the area who heard her screams rescued her, leaving the perpetrators to flee the scene with her clothes, according to reports.
The 15-year-old then walked home naked for more than a mile on a busy road, where she was reportedly filmed by passers-by and pelted with stones. Surveillance footage of the girl has since been circulating online.
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Upon returning home, her parents did not believe her story. The girl’s uncle, identified as Ram Avtar, took the initiative to head to the Bhojpur police station to file a complaint six days later. However, no action was taken until the matter was raised before the district police head, according to reports.
“She was bleeding profusely when she returned home and narrated the ordeal to us,” Avtar was quoted as saying.
The first information report, submitted on Sept. 7, named five accused, who were identified as Nitin, Kapil, Ajay, Imran and Naushe Ali. The suspects were booked under Indian Penal Code Section 376D and the POCSO Act. Ali was reportedly arrested on Sept. 15.
The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with the Moradabad police receiving backlash for their inactivity and “laid back” investigation of the case.
Swati Maliwal, the Delhi Commission for Women chairperson, also shared the footage of the girl walking home naked on Twitter.
“If strict steps are not taken today, then one day the situation will go out of control,” Maliwal wrote in Hindi.
However, the teen’s parents claimed that their daughter has had mental disabilities since her childhood. They have since denied her allegations.
According to the police, rape was not confirmed in the medical examination of the girl.
“The incident occurred around a fortnight ago and an accused in the case has been sent to judicial custody. The rape was not confirmed in a medical examination of the woman. The matter is under investigation,” Shalabh Mathur, Deputy Inspector General of Moradabad range, reportedly said.
Featured Image via Mattia Ascenzo
