Jewar case: Mobile call record fails to provide clue about possible criminals

Hot on the trail of those involved in the sensational Jewar robbery and alleged gangrape case, the police were left disappointed after they could not find any mobile phone call record from the crime site area that could lead to them.

The police are now depending on their information network to trace the five culprits of the May 25 incident in which eight people travelling to Bulandshahr were looted off Yamuna Expressway in Jewar area, while four women, part of the group, were allegedly raped and a man shot dead.

Police have found that the criminals had not used the mobile phones during the crime period, a senior Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) official said today.

The Jewar Police and the UP STF team scanned call details of the mobile phones operating in the crime site area between 1 AM to 4 AM of May 25 and found around 2,500 numbers were operational during that period in the area.

Call details of these numbers were scanned but nothing suspicious was found, the official said, adding the criminals may not have used mobile phone during the crime period fearing that it could help police trace them.

The three mobile phones of the victims, which were allegedly robbed by the criminals, too did not function during the crime period, officials said. The STF official said till date these mobile phone are non-functional.

Surveillance specialists from Aligarh were called to join the probe in the case, which has found echo in the political corridors as well with opposition parties flaying the BJP-led UP government over law and order situation in the sate. Now the UP STF is putting thrust on its informers' network to get clues about the criminals.

Police have also shown around 100 photographs of suspects people, but the victims were unable to identify the culprits. They (the victims) said it was dark when the crime took place and identifying the criminals from photograph was difficult, the official said.The family members of the victims yesterday held staged a demonstration at Jewar tehsil and demanded arrest of the criminals. They also threatened to commit suicide if they do not get justice.

Their family members said they will meet UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya during his visit to Noida tomorrow and demand arrest of criminals and justice to the victims. Meanwhile, former Noida MLA and BJP leader Vimla Batham claimed that the victims' families were upset over police ruling out rape in its initial investigations.

She said police should have put thrust on arresting the criminals instead of making statements "against" the victims and condemned the force making the "statement in hurry". Armed robbers had on May 25 struck a group of eight people travelling to Bulandshahr in a vehicle on the Yamuna Expressway, shooting dead a man and looting cash and jewellery.

Four women, who were travelling in the car along with as many men, alleged that they were raped at gunpoint after they tried to resist the robbery bid. On May 26, four persons were detained for questioning over the robbery and alleged gangrape incident on the Yamuna Expressway. "Once we confirm the involvement of the suspects, we will arrest them. More suspects are also being questioned," said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jewar, Dileep Singh.