6 days on, police fail to trace accused in minor girl's rape in Kartarpur village

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Jalandhar, February 22

Even after the lapse of seven days, the rural police have failed to arrest the accused who had brutally raped a nine-year-old girl in Mand Maur village in Kartarpur on February 16.

No justice for the poor?

• “There seems to be no justice in the country for poor and illiterate families and the surprising part is the so-called educated people, too, prefer to stay quiet on such issues,” said Harsimran Kaur, a student pursuing law from a private institution here. She said the reason she chose law was to help the poor and needy. “I can’t sit and be a mute spectator to what’s going around. Be it Hathras or any other such crime, the poor people never get justice easily,” she added.

The victim’s family and lawyer have expressed strong reservations over the conduct of police officials who claimed they were delaying the matter on the pretext of elections. “The incident took place nearly seven days ago and an FIR was registered the same day, but there’s no headway in the case so far,” said victim’s father in a telephonic conversation with The Tribune.

He said he’s being given all help like good treatment, counselling to his little daughter and financial aid, but all he wants is justice for his daughter who’s going through the toughest days of her life at the Civil Hospital here.

He said though the police officials are in touch with him and assuring all the help, there is no significant development yet. “If police had taken the matter seriously, the accused wouldn’t have been successful in leaving the state. His location on the very first day of the crime was shown near Jalandhar, but still he couldn’t be arrested,” he added.

“Our only hope in the case is the police and if they fail to arrest the accused, I would lose my trust in the system,” he said, while adding that if this case was not of his daughter but of any minister or rich family, the accused would have been held in just two days. The lawyer of the victim, Simranjit Kaur Gill, who is also the president of the ‘Fight for Right: The voice of unheard victims’ welfare society,’ has written to the SSP office two days ago, seeking quick action in the case. She alleged that despite having all the necessary evidence and access to the best of technology and other resources, the police have failed to trace the accused.

She said if the accused isn’t held in the next two or three days, she along with other members of the welfare society would hold a protest outside the police station in Kartarpur.

Meanwhile, when contacted Satinder Singh, SSP, Jalandhar, he said the police are making their best efforts to nab the accused. He said his identity, address and all other details have been procured and raids are being conducted frequently at various locations. Besides, a team of police is also sent to Jharkhand, the state from where the accused originally belongs. “We are hopeful to arrest him in the next few days,” he added.