The student, believe to be a low-caste woman or “untouchable”, was first assaulted in Bhiwani in 2013 and went to police to report the crime.
She and her family moved cities to escape her attackers, but the men were able to track her down and attacked her as she left her university campus in Rohtak.
After passing out during the assault, she was found abandoned by the roadside by a passerby, lying unconscious wth her clothes torn.
It is believed she was drugged and dragged into their car, before she was dumped in the bushes.
She was rushed to Rohtak Civil Hospital and later referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences by doctors the next day.Her police statement read: “I got scared seeing them. They forcefully pushed me inside the car. They were the same men, who had raped me earlier.”
The victim’s family have since claimed the second assault was an attempt to intimidate or “punish” her after they refused an out-of-court settlement, have since sent “constant threats” against pursuing legal action.
Her brother said: “They had offered us Rs. 50 lakh (£50,000) as well. But we want justice. They should be given strict punishment so that we get justice.
“We were getting constant threats from the accused to reach a compromise outside the court, but we remained firm.
“That’s why they have attacked her again.”He added the family had repeatedly asked for police protection but were denied.
Only two of the original five men – described as in their late twenties – were ever arrested, but were later released on bail.
It is believed three of the men come from upper caste families.
Women from India’s lower-castes are often perceived to be “easy targets” for sex attacks, many of which remain unreported due to the class system.
The most recent official figures show that 36,735 rapes were reported across the country in 2014, although activists say the true number is likely to be much higher because of the social stigma attached to sexual crimes.The victim’s brother said: “They are men from upper caste and we are Dalits. It seems they can do whatever they want without fearing the law.”
A High Court case is pending into the original crime and police confirm they have launched a search operation to find the men – although no arrests have yet been made.
Haryana deputy superintendent of police Pushpa Khatri said: “She has identified the five accused and two of them were involved in the gang-rape of the student in Bhiwandi district in 2013.
“We have formed several teams to arrest the accused.”
Several Dalit organisations held demonstrations on Sunday in protest against the gang-rape. – Express.co.uk
