Farmers Movement Archive

Rohtak: 4 linked to farm group booked for rape

Six people were booked on Sunday in connection with the rape of a 25-year-old woman from West Bengal, who later died of Covid-19 at a private hospital in Jhajjar’s Bahadurgarh, the police said.According to a complaint lodged by the victim’s father at Bahadurgarh police station, the accused worked with ‘Kisan social army’, the IT cell of farmers’ group protesting against the three central farm laws passed in September last year.“I was pressurised that if I wanted to take my daughter’s body, I would have to give a statement that she died of Covid,” the deceased’s father said in his FIR.The police have identified the accused as Anil Malik, Anup Singh, Ankush Sangwan, Jagdish Barad and two women Kavita Arya and Yogita Suhag.“The victim came to Tikri from West Bengal on April 11 to join the protest. On April 25, she was admitted to a private hospital in Bahadurgarh after her condition worsened. The doctors found infection in her lungs and she later tested positive (for Covid-19). She breathed her last in the hospital on April 30. The charges are serious against the four farm leaders and two women volunteers, who are quite active in the farm agitation,” said the SHO Vijay Kumar.The accused, meanwhile, alleged that the victim died of Covid 10 days ago and the police are trying to frame them in a fake case.“ The police are trying to defame us and we are ready to face the probe. The government is making every attempt to defame us,” one of the four accused men said.Suhag, who is among the six persons booked in the case, tweeted, “I was the whistleblower and not an accused in the sexual assault that happened at Tikri. I had raised the issue, that is why you are hearing it. Otherwise, the issue would also have been suppressed like many others.”In a press statement, the Samyukt Kisan morcha (SKM) extended their support to the victim and said asserted that they will not tolerate assault against any woman taking part in the farm agitation.“ We removed the tents and banners of the Kisan Social army four days ago when the incident came to light. This social media handle was never part of our farm agitation and we have announced their boycott. We had earlier told the woman’s family that we are standing by them in this fight,” the statement read.A special investigation team (SIT), being headed by a deputy superintendent Pawan Sharma, will further probe the entire incident, the SHO added.“ We will launch a thorough probe and investigate the case.”The police have registered a case under sections 365 (kidnapping ), 342 (Punishment for wrongful confinement), 354 (Any man who assaults or uses criminal force to any woman or abets such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked, shall be punished with) , 376-D (gang-rape), 506(criminal intimidation), 120-B (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.Several farmers have been protesting against the farm laws at border points of Delhi, including Tikri and Singhu, since November last year.

Hindustan Times

10-05-2021

India