A 35-year-old woman was allegedly abducted by a group of men and gangraped for eight hours as they drove her around in a Maruti Swift across three states--Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh--before she was finally thrown out somewhere in Greater Noida at 4 am.
The incident took place without a single police check as the accused drove freely across state borders, and it was only when the woman was reportedly spotted crying near a hospital that the matter came to light.
As the crime took place--repeatedly--in the car, the criminals were not stopped by any police checkpoint or patrolling vehicle--exposing just how vulnerable women are in any of these three cities, including the country capital.
Local police have barricades and special checkpoints across the three states at night to check vehicles on the road. However, it isn't uncommon to find no one actually manning these security points, or even allowing cars to pass by with a cursory glance.
These barricades cause crippling traffic jams every day but the benefit of these checks is debatable. A few years ago, Delhi Police had issued a notification that any such barricades, if unmanned by local police, were obstructions and action would be taken against the local SHO (police station in-charge). However, since then, there has been little accountability in such cases.
While the Haryana police is reported to be investigating the case, the responsibility for the crime to go undetected--for hours--lies with police of all three states. At the very least, action should be taken against all police officers who were supposed to be on the route taken by the criminals as the gangrape took place. No FIR has been lodged yet.
The rape survivor has reportedly told police that she hails from Rajasthan and was working in Sohna in Haryana. She has alleged that she was dragged inside a Maruti Swift car by some men and then raped.
Further details are awaited.