Mewat gangrape: NCW seeks action taken report

New Delhi, Sep 13: Taking note of the claims of a gangrape survivor from Mewat that her attackers asked her if she ate beef, the NCW Chairperson today said the panel has written to the authorities seeking an action taken report even as she refrained from commenting on cow vigilantism.

"We had conducted an inquiry when the gangrape incident happened a few weeks ago. At that time, we got a different version. Now they seem to have changed their version totally.

"...an FIR has been registered and a probe is on so we can't interfere. We have written to the police and the District Magistrate and sought an action taken report," NCW Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said. "Cow vigilantism has nothing to do with us. Perpetrators have to be brought to book regardless of cow vigilantism... Cow vigilantism is not part of our work.

We are not a political outfit. We should make an effort to give survivors justice," she said. She also said that she did not want to politicise the crime because "then politics takes precedence over crime".

"To me crime doesn't become bigger because of caste or creed or cow vigilantism. To me a rape is rape regardless of the victim and her social/cultural/ political background. Similarly for the perpetrator," Kumaramangalam said.

In an interview to NDTV one of the two gangrape survivors said, "They asked if we eat beef. We said we don't, but they insisted we did. Then they said we're hurting you before so you don't and that if we tell anyone we'll will be insulted."

On Congress activist Shehzad Poonawalla's complaint to her on the matter seeking "directions to the central government to enforce a ban on cow vigilantes", the NCW chief said.

"He is unnecessarily politicising the issue." Poonawalla, in an e-mail this morning, made five demands from NCW which included a fair probe, summoning of the Haryana Chief Minister, directions to the Centre on cow vigilantism and compensation for the rape survivors.

The 20-year-old woman and her 14-year-old cousin were sexually assaulted by several men in their home in Mewat on August 24. Their uncle and aunt were tied up and then beaten to death.

PTI