Barmer rape case: NCW Chairperson writes to Rajasthan DGP for investigation

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Director General of Police (DGP) Rajasthan regarding a fair and time-bound investigation in Barmer rape case.

The matter pertains to April 6, when a Dalit woman was allegedly raped and set on fire in Rajasthan's Barmer district. The victim succumbed to burn injuries at Jaipur's Mahatma Gandhi Hospital on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred on Thursday in an area under Pachpadra police station limits, Barmer district.

The main accused has been identified as Shakoor and has been arrested, police said.

In her letter to DGP Rajasthan, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said to conduct a fair and time-bound investigation in the matter and if the allegations levelled are found to be true, an FIR should be filed under relevant provisions of law.

Meanwhile, the state BJP formed a three-member committee pertaining to the case. Pali MP PP Chaudhary, MLA Jogeshwar Garg and Mayor Vanita Seth are included in the committee.

Soon after the incident, a political uproar was seen in Rajasthan as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader lashed out at the Ashok Gehlot government.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Rajendra Rathod condemned the incident and termed it as a blot on the face of the Ashok Gehlot government of Rajasthan.

"This is not the first incident. A case like Nirbhaya takes shape at one place or the other every week in Rajasthan. In the Balotra incident, the victim remained in the hospital for 24 hours and the FIR was registered after people protested against them," he said.

He further said, "This incident is a blot on the face of the government. For the third time in a row, Rajasthan remained at the first position in rape of women, according to NCR statistics."

Meanwhile, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat also hit out at the government and said women are not safe under Ashok Gehlot's government.

"This is not a new incident in Rajasthan. A Dalit woman was raped in the daylight by a Muslim man who later tried to burn the woman alive," he said.

"The woman was immediately admitted to a hospital where there is no burn unit. She was referred to Jodhpur after 24 hours and she died there due to lack of treatment. Women are not safe under the Ashok Gehlot government," Sekhawat said.

Notably, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the police said.