Panipat robbery-gangrape case: Three accused held, one absconding

A group of four armed men allegedly gang-raped three women in the presence of their family members, including children, in Haryana's Panipat and decamped with cash and jewellery. They also allegedly robbed and assaulted a couple after which the woman succumbed to her injuries. Three out of the four accused have been arrested while one is still absconding.

Panipat (Haryana): The Haryana police on Tuesday arrested three accused in two cases related to the murder of a woman and rape of three women labourers in front of their family members before robbing their houses in Haryana's Panipat district. However, one accused is still absconding, police sources said. A man-hunt was launched to nab the absconding accused. Superintendent of Police Ajit Shekhawat will hold a press conference on Tuesday for detailed information about the incident and the arrest of the accused. The incident took place at a village under Matlauda police station on the intervening night of September 20 and 21.

According to police sources, the three accused were arrested by the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA)-3 team of Panipat police after a man-hunt was launched to nab them. One of the accused suffered an injury in his leg. Police sources further said that during the interrogation, the accused revealed that they were in jail for minor thefts in the village. All four accused from the Outer Colony of Panipat became friends in the jail. They planned a major robbery in the jail.

When they came out, they allegedly barged into a house, used ropes to tie the family members of the three women before raping them. The accused also robbed their cash and jewelry, police sources added. As many as 800 police personnel were divided into 22 teams to investigate the case. According to the police, while fleeing out of the village after raping three women, the same gang members also allegedly robbed a man and assaulted his wife who later succumbed to injuries.