Sri Ganganagar: 4 Hotels Bulldozed in Minor Gang-Rape Case

Days of mounting public anger in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar ended with the sound of bulldozers late at night, as the district administration tore down four hotels where a 13-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped over several days. A heavy police force was deployed during the demolition and security across the area was tightened.

What the police say happened

According to police, the case dates back to June 18. A rickshaw driver allegedly sold the girl, who had gone missing from home, to a hotel. What followed, police say, was days of brutality: the girl was allegedly handed over to six men at a time each day and repeatedly raped. Investigators say she was plied with liquor to keep her subdued. The assaults allegedly took place across several hotels in the town.

Arrests and the cover-up attempt

Police have so far arrested 12 accused, and the investigation is continuing. It is alleged that as many as 32 people assaulted the child. According to reports, there was an attempt to suppress the case for the first three days before the scale of the crime became public and outrage spread across the district. Police detained several hotel owners and managers and began questioning them.

Protests demand strict action

As word spread, large numbers of residents gathered outside the SP office and the collectorate. Congress workers and a student organisation took to the streets, with protesters vowing to continue until firm action was taken. District Congress president and Srikaranpur MLA Rupinder Singh Kunnar joined the sit-in outside the traders' association building. He called the case deeply shameful and inhuman and demanded the death penalty for the accused, along with strict action against the hotel operators and the rickshaw driver.

A town full of unregistered hotels

The case has also thrown a spotlight on Sri Ganganagar's hotel trade. More than 150 hotels are said to be operating in the town, but only around 40 are registered. Under public pressure to demolish the hotels and hang the accused, the administration moved at night and ran bulldozers over four of them. SP Harishankar said the guilty would be given strict punishment.