Sri Ganganagar- In a shocking incident from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, a 13-year-old Dalit minor girl was allegedly gang-raped by 32 men for five days after being kidnapped and sold to hotel owners. The horrific ordeal began around June 18, when the Class 8 student went missing from her home. According to police, an e-rickshaw driver abducted her and sold her for a paltry sum to a hotel owner. The girl was then shifted between multiple hotels including Joy Inn, Khungar, and Safire, where she was held captive and repeatedly assaulted by groups of 3 to 6 men. The victim stated that whenever she screamed in pain, the perpetrators forced her to drink urine to silence her.

Kailash Dan, the Additional SP and investigating officer in the case, stated that the girl had an Instagram friend whom she went to meet in Vijaynagar located 100 kilometers from Sri Ganganagar, on June 18; there, the friend raped her.

According to reports, the girl subsequently returned to Sri Ganganagar from Vijaynagar by bus at night and hired a rickshaw. When she did not reach home, her mother searched for her in various places and inquired among relatives; however, when the girl still had not returned by June 22, the mother approached the police station.

The rickshaw puller stayed at the hotel with the girl overnight. He has also been arrested in connection with the rape case.

The officer further adds, "The girl was raped the greatest number of times at the hotel where she was initially taken. Apart from that, she was also taken to two other hotels where rapes occurred."

Police have registered a case under the POCSO Act and relevant IPC sections for rape, kidnapping, and human trafficking. Considering the nature of the case, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was also formed under the supervision of Deepak Kumar, Additional SP, Sri Ganganagar, and Neelam Chaudhary, Additional SP, Women’s Crime Investigation Cell.

So far, 14 to 18 accused, including hotel owners, managers, and the rickshaw driver, have been arrested based on CCTV and DVR footage, while the search for the remaining fugitives continues. Amid massive public outrage, the district administration conducted a late-night bulldozer action on July 1 and demolished four illegal hotels linked to the crime.

Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad has come down heavily on the Rajasthan government over the delay in arrests. He stated, “The incident of gangrape of a 13-year-old Dalit minor girl by 32 people after keeping her hostage in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan is extremely horrifying and shameful for humanity. According to the victim, sometimes 3-4 and sometimes more people committed rape with her. Whenever she felt pain due to repeated assaults, she was forced to drink urine. This crime has crossed all limits of cruelty. What is even more shameful is that even after 15 days of the incident coming to light, not all the accused have been arrested. This raises serious questions on the government’s law and order.”

Chandra Shekhar Aazad demanded that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and the Rajasthan government ensure the arrest of all remaining fugitives within 24 hours, conduct the trial in a fast-track court, secure the harshest punishment for the guilty, and provide immediate security, justice, and adequate financial compensation to the victim’s Dalit family. He also appealed to lawyers not to defend such monsters.

The case has exposed serious issues of child trafficking, exploitation in hotel networks, and safety of minor girls. The victim has been rescued and is undergoing medical treatment and counselling. Several viral videos being shared online are fake and belong to an unrelated case from Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. Protests are ongoing, and the demand for swift justice is growing louder. Police say the investigation is progressing rigorously.