Another Ashreya employee arrested

CHANDIGARH I DECEMBER 26

Another Ashreya employee was arrested on Saturday on charges of raping the mentally challenged victim. Bhagwandin Yadav (30) was a security guard at Ashreya,the Sector-47 home for the mentally challenged. He was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Chandigarh Police.

Yadav was employed in Ashreya till July this year. Later,he shifted to the IT Park to avoid suspicion,the police said. Yadav lives in Sanjay Colony.

The involvement of Yadav,who is married with two children,surfaced following the arrest of Chhotu Ram alias Madho Ram on December 23 after his DNA samples matched with those of the victim’s baby,now 23 days old.

DSP Kulwant Singh Pannu,head of the SIT,said Yadav was hand in glove with Ram. Both used to work in night shift (8 pm to 8 am) at Ashreya and took turns to rape the victim,with one of them standing guard,the police said. Chhotu Ram was an attendant in Ashreya.

The 19-year-old mentally challenged victim is learnt to have identified Yadav,the seventh accused arrested in the case.

The police have already submitted a chargesheet against five accused — security guard Bhupinder Singh,watchman Jamna Dass,attendant Vijender,sweeper-cum-attendant Kamla and nurse-cum-attendant Maya,all employees of Nari Niketan.

The police said they had evidence against all of them.

Commenting on the involvement of Ashreya employees,a senior police officer said the matter was being probed further.

Chhotu Ram’s remand,meanwhile,ended on Saturday. He was sent to judicial custody by a local court.

Before the arrest of Ram,the police had arrested only employees of Nari Niketan in the case registered in May this year.