Horror show on repeat: Dalit girl raped 3 years later by same five men

The second assault

The 20-year-old had gone to college on Wednesday morning and did not return. She was eventually found wearing tattered clothes near Sukhpura Chowk area on the outskirts of Rohtak.

She was rushed to Rohtak Civil Hospital from where she was referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences by doctors the next day.

The victim was allegedly targeted again by the accused because of her refusal to withdraw the case against them. The victim's family had previously been threatened by the accused after the first assault incident in 2013 in Bhiwani and had been forced to shift to Rohtak.

The family had also approached the court recently since only two of the accused had been arrested. Worse, the two accused were also out on bail.

The victim reportedly told the police after the latest incident that she had been abducted as she came out of the college she attends, and then drugged and raped in a car by the same accused. The girl has been medically examined. A police probe is on in the matter but no arrests have been made so far.

"The evidence is being looked at and arrests will be made accordingly. The law will take its course," Inspector General of Police (Rohtak Range) Sanjay Kumar told Catch.

Silencing the oppressed

Experts point out that this incident once again points to the fact that Dalits, and Dalit women in particular, continue to be oppressed in Haryana - a sate that has become infamous for such crimes.

According to senior academician Richa Tanwar who heads the Women Studies Department at Kurukshetra University, caste hierarchy lies well entrenched in the social system in Haryana and the Dalits are doubly at the receiving end - one on account of their marginalisation, and two, for not having a voice.

She also points out, "The legal and investigating system is so slow and obsolete that even those who are better off are unable to get justice."

She says the rot in the system has been setting in for the last several years. A survey carried out for the National Commission for Women (NCW) a few years ago had found something similar: that the availability of easy money and proximity to political power have become major reasons for a spurt in crimes.

Tanwar says the increase in money can be attributed to state's close proximity to the national capital. "The sale of land has fetched good returns to land owners in Haryana. But they do not know what to do with this money, " she says, adding that the display of wealth at weddings is so garish that choppers are hired to shower petals on the crowds.

The misuse of money and power

Phool Singh Gautam, a prominent Dalit activist associated with Jan Sangharsh Manch (Haryana) also points out that such instances are reminders of the misuse of money and power. "What can we do? We protest whenever there are such things, but a common man is a sufferer even in the legal process. It is the system that supports the one with money and power, whether the latter is right or wrong," he said.

"Even though we have Dalit representatives in the legislature from reserved seats, the present day parliamentary democracy is a sham when it comes to Dalit context. The Dalit representatives are hardly able to do anything for their community."

Tanwar believes the solution lies in doing away with the caste hierarchy. "There has to be inter-mingling within the society. Inter-caste marriages need to take place. The society must have a sensitive approach to the issue and needs to be vigilant," she says.

"Another thing that can work is the provision of exemplary punishment in such cases. This can go a long way in instilling fear among those inclined to commit such crimes," she underlines.

There have been cases in the past where victims and their families have withdrawn cases after money was paid to them by the accused. In some cases, the girls were withdrawn from educational institutions, kept at home and quietly married off.

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