Ajmer IGP Lata Manoj Kumar said Saturday that the two women, one of them a minor, are the wives of arrested prime suspects Kalu Lal, 21, and Kanha Lalu, 25. Four others and a minor were held earlier.
Kalu and Kanha allegedly raped the teenager on August 2, while the others allegedly abetted the crime and helped wipe out evidence. Police suspect the women had helped open the coal furnace and light the fire after the gang-rape.
CM Ashok Gehlot tweeted Saturday that police have arrested “a total of seven persons so far”.
The functioning of the Bhilwara police has come under scrutiny due to their sluggish response when the information of a missing 14-year-old girl first reached the local police station.
After making lofty claims that police responded swiftly to the horrifying gang rape and murder of the minor girl, the relentless protests by angry locals have revealed that the Kotri police station did not show initiative on Wednesday night when the entire village was frantically looking for her.
IGP (Ajmer) Lata Manoj Kumar, at a press conference in Bhilwara on Saturday, said that the assistant sub-inspector (ASI) who was posted as the duty officer (DO) has already been suspended, and orders have been issued for the suspension of the station house officer (SHO) for the supervisory negligence.
She emphasised it was the responsibility of the duty officer (DO) to take immediate action and dispatch a search team quickly. However, the DO was found lacking in his responsibility, leading to his suspension. These suspensions also come in the wake of public outcry as several people on Saturday protested outside the Kotri police station.
BJP state president CP Joshi also strongly criticised the Bhilwara police and questioned why the cops did not act on time despite having the information. “The district SP is responsible for the poor law and order of Bhilwara,” he said. Joshi BJP national secretary Alka Gurjar visited the family earlier in the day. Several protestors also gathered in large numbers at the Kotri police station of the district.
