Women's Panel Alleges Delay In Filing FIR In Rajasthan Rape Case

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday condemned the gangrape and brutal murder of a minor girl in Rajasthan's Bhilwara.

An NCW team visited the scene of the heinous crime. It was the fourth such visit by the NCW's inquiry committee in the Congress-ruled state, starting last month.

The national women's panel said it ascertained during its probe that there was a delay in the registration of an FIR after the minor went missing, further compounding the trauma faced by her family members.

The NCW informed further that as many as 11 individuals are believed to be involved in the heinous crime, with one of the accused being a minor.

Five of the accused persons are currently missing, the women's panel stated.

Taking cognizance of the nature and gravity of the crime and the need to deliver 'justice' to the victim's family, the NCW said it has taken appropriate measures to ensure that the perpetrators behind the crime are brought to book at the earliest.

"The Station House Officer (SHO) responsible for the delay in filing the FIRt has been suspended. The NCW stands firm in its commitment to monitor the progress of the investigation in this case and ensure a fair and expeditious trial," an NCW official said.

"The victim's family has refused compensation and only wants justice. The visiting NCW team is actively engaged in providing them with necessary emotional support and counselling at this time and help them heal from this loss," the official added.

The visiting NCW team said the minor's parents found her charred remains in a furnace.

The women's panel demanded that the authorities concerned, including the police and the chief secretary, take every possible measure to maintain law and order in the state.

"Ensuring the safety and security of its citizens, especially the most vulnerable ones, is a duty vested in the administration," the official added.

The NCW urged the authorities concerned to expedite the ongoing investigation in the matter and ensure that those behind the heinous crime are identified and brought to justice at the earliest.

The minor was allegedly gang-raped and burnt to death, the police said earlier, adding that her charred remains were found inside a coal furnace in Bhilwara district.

Further, according to officials, the incident took place in Narsinghpura village in the Shahpura panchayat of Bhilwara on Wednesday.

Police said some locals found the charred remains of the girl and her bangles inside the furnace.

Locals said they fear that the girl was raped before being burnt alive.

According to the police, the girl went missing on Wednesday after taking the cattle out to graze in a nearby field.

Her family members went looking for her but with no clue on her whereabouts till the evening, they eventually lodged a missing complaint.

Earlier, four female members of a family, including a six-month-old baby girl, were found dead in Jodhpur.

Even as the Opposition gunned for the Centre and the BJP government in Manipur over a viral video, purportedly showing two women being stripped and paraded naked, the BJP hit out at the Ashok Gehlot government alleging rising crimes against women in Rajasthan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)