Deliver justice or will commit suicide, threaten UP gangrape victims’ kin

A 13-year-old girl and her mother were dragged out of their car, robbed and gangraped by dacoits.

The family of the 34-year-old woman and her minor daughter, who were robbed at raped at gunpoint in Bulandshahr, have issued an ultimatum to the UP government, claiming that they would be forced to end their lives if the accused were not nabbed within three months.

"We were looted, beaten up and we all know what they did to my daughter... These men need to be punished within three months, else I, my wife and daughter will commit suicide," the family was quoted as saying.

A 13-year-old girl, and her mother were dragged out of their car, robbed and gangraped by dacoits, while travelling along the NH-91 in Bulandshahr.

Calling for exemplary punishment to deter such crimes and criminals, the father of the 13-year-old said that he could never look his daughter in the eye again. "I have been staying at a friend's place since the day of the crime. Now, even he wants me to move out," he was reported as saying.

"We will have to change our house and also my daughter's school," he lamented.

Claiming that his daughter was in a state of shock ever since the incident, he added, “She has not eaten anything since the assault. We are trying to force-feed her. The girl and her mother are being treated.”

The minor girl cried out ‘Papa’ when she was being dragged out of the car, but he was struck with a hammer on his head when he attempted to intervene, he claimed.

The police have so far detained three people and are on the lookout for other members of the gang that comprised of 5-6 men. Going against the police claim, the family also believed that some of the men were locals.

As the incident, which occurred near bypass when the family from Noida was from travelling to Shahjahanpur on NH-91, acquired a political hue, the Chief Minister went into a fire-fighting mode and suspended SSP Bulandshahr Vaibhav Kishan, SP city Rammohan Singh , Circle Officer (Sadar) Himanshu Gaurav and SHO Ramsen Singh of Kotwali Dehat, amid allegations of laxity by police.

The DGP accompanied by Principal Secretary (Home) visited the site of the incident on Sunday.

The police chief, however, rubbished the charge that police did not act swiftly, saying they reached the spot within 20 minutes of getting information and SSP Vibhav Krishna also arrived there.

The National Commission for Women also took stock of the situation, sending a member to meet the victims and officials in Uttar Pradesh.

NCW chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam also questioned the genuineness of the detentions made by police in the case.

Opposition parties alleged that the "barbaric" incident showed that "goonda raj" was at its peak in the state where Assembly elections were due in early 2017.

BJP criticised the state government for laying expressways and highways without caring for the safety and security of the users, while BSP said such heinous crimes indicated towards deteriorating law and order situation and 'jungle raj' in the state.

"The SP government and its head must tell the people if they can return the modesty of women in such a painful and henious crime," BSP Chief Mayawati said in a statement, adding common people, especially women, were not safe in present SP regime.

"If you can't manage UP, then resign as chief minister on moral grounds," said former UP chief Minster Mayawati.

(This article first appeared in Deccan Chronicle)