West Bengal woman who died in Tikri ‘sexually assaulted’

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, May 9

The police have registered a case against six persons after the father of a 25-year-old woman from West Bengal, who died of Covid at Tikri border on April 30, alleged his daughter was sexually assaulted and kept in illegal confinement at the farmers’ protest site on the Delhi border.

In his complaint lodged at the Bahadurgarh police station, the victim’s father alleged the main accused, Anil Malik and Anup Singh, who ran an outfit Kisan Social Army, also tried to kidnap her.

Ankush Sangwan, Kavita, Jagdish Barar and Yogita are the other four accused booked under relevant sections of the IPC.

Anil and Anup had been camping at a tent near the main protest site at Tikri for the past few months, said sources. The complainant alleged his daughter met the accused on April 4 when they were conducting public meetings in West Bengal amid the Assembly elections.

“My daughter got involved in the group and came to Tikri with them by train to join the protest on April 12. In Tikri, she stayed at the Kisan Social Army tent along with Anil, Anup and Ankush. On April 14, she told me over the phone that Anil and Anup were indecent and that she moved to another tent where some women were camping on April 16.

“On April 21, she developed mild fever, followed by vomiting and upset stomach.

She took medicines from the medical camp at Tikri, but her condition didn’t improve. By April 24, she developed cough and breathing issues,” the victim’s father said. The complainant alleged on April 25, Anil and Anup took his daughter somewhere in a car from Tikri and brought her back the next day after some farm leaders intervened.

“As her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to a hospital where she tested Covid positive. When I reached the hospital, she told me Anil sexually assaulted her while Anup assisted him when she was putting up at their tent. She urged me the duo, who had held her captive, must be punished, but the farm protest shouldn’t be harmed,” he said.

BKU (Rajewal) leader Pargat Singh said the accused were not associated with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). He said stern action must be taken against them if they were involved in the crime.

Dr Darshan Pal, another SKM leader, said the Kisan Social Army had been barred from participating in their movement and their tent had been removed from the protest site. He said the SKM would cooperate with the police and extend all possible help to the deceased’s family.

Jhajjar SP Rajesh Duggal has constituted a four-member special investigation team to look into the case. Bahadurgarh SHO Vijay Kumar said the accused would be arrested soon.

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