The Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday arrested a Bawaria gang member wanted in the 2017 Jewar gangrape and murder case.
The suspect, the sixth to be nabbed in the case, was identified as Monu Bawaria (22), a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan. Monu had thrown an axle at the victims’ car to stop them, leading to the gang rape and murder incident.
Monu was wanted in four criminal cases, including the Jewar gang rape and had a reward of Rs 50000 for his arrest. Police have already arrested five criminals, including Monu’s father, Jai Singh, for their involvement in the 2017 case. All of the accused are in judicial custody.
Raj Kumar Mishra, DSP Noida STF, said that Monu belongs to the infamous Bawaria tribe, whose members travel from one place to another frequently to commit crimes and do not carry phones or electronic gadgets to evade electronic surveillance. “It is common among the Bawaria gang to commit crimes along with their family members. Monu’s father Jai Singh was arrested for the same case,” Mishra said.
The gang rape-murder incident took place on May 25, 2017, when a Jewar-based scrap dealer was travelling in a Maruti Eeco with his family members, his driver and the driver’s wife (34). The businessman and family was going from Jewar to Bulandshahr to visit a relative who was admitted in a hospital.
The then SSP, Gautam Budh Nagar, Love Kumar had said that six member of a Bawaria gang in a Mahindra Scorpio stationed themselves near Sabota village, around one kilometre away from Yamuna Expressway. They waylaid the Maruti Eeco car and held the occupants at gunpoint in a field.
“The scrap dealer, his brother-in-law (42), nephew (27) and driver (52) where held at gunpoint while the scrap dealers’ wife (37), sister (37) and sister-in-law (52) and the driver’s wife (47) were gang raped. The gang leader, Raju, also shot the scrap dealer at point-blank range when he tried to resist the sexual assault on his family,” Kumar had said after the arrest of four accused in the case on July 23, 2017.
The police registered a case of murder, abduction, gang rape and robbery against the six accused. Noida police had arrested four men, including the gang leader Raju (30), a resident of Najafgarh; Rakesh (25) and Deepak (20), natives of Jhajhar in Haryana and Jai Singh (39), a native of Alwar in Rajasthan, after an encounter. Monu Bawaria and his accomplice Anil Bawaria had managed to escape.
DSP Noida STF Raj Kumar Mishra said that Anil Bawaria was nabbed in August 2017 after an encounter. He said on Monday night, the STF received information about Monu’s presence near Jewar. “A police team reached the spot and arrested the accused who was on a motorcycle. A countrymade gun and some live cartridges were recovered from him,” he said.
Mishra said that Monu had been changing his hideouts frequently, which made it difficult to trace him. “The Bawaria gang members are brutal when they commit crimes. They do not carry mobile phones or electronic gadgets to evade surveillance. They also carry axles and other weapons and kill their victims during robbery,” he said.
Police said they have pressed charges under Arms act against the accused. “He was produced in court and sent to judicial custody,” Mishra said.
Timeline
May 25, 2017: Four women gang-raped, scrap dealer shot dead
May 29 : Family protested at Jewar Tehsil, demanding action
June 1: Victims met UP CM Yogi Adityanath for justice
June 3: Four women victims got compensation of Rs 7 lakh each
June 14: Driver’s wife attempts suicide
July 23: Four Bawaria gang members arrested
August 26, 2017: Noida STF arrest Anil Bawaria, fifth accused in the case
July 1, 2019: Monu Bawaria, sixth and last suspect in the case, arrested by Noida STF
First Published: Jul 02, 2019 21:12 IST
