Kartarpur rape case: Activists of Istri Jagriti Manch, villagers protest police 'inaction'

Jalandhar, February 23

A number of residents from Mand Maur village, led by women activists of the Istri Jagriti Manch, Wednesday held a demonstration and sat on dharna in front of the police station in Kartarpur in protest against inaction of the police in the rape case of a nine-year-old girl.

Holding placards and banners, the protesters raised slogans against the Punjab Police and the state government, condemning their lackadaisical approach in delivering justice in such cases. They handed over a memorandum to the police officials, demanding quick arrest of the accused and Rs 10 lakh compensation for the victim’s family.

They said it’s been over a week since a migrant worker, identified as Rajesh, who had brutally raped the girl in the fields of Mand Maur village, is absconding, however, the police have no clue about his whereabouts.

Women activists alleged that this is not the first time that such an incident has been reported. In the past also, many such cases of women suffering have come to light, but no action has been taken against the culprits.

Addressing the protestors, Neha, an activist of Istri Jagriti Manch, said even after 75 years of independence, the situation for women hasn’t improved in the country. They said they were neither safe at home or at work places nor anywhere else.

“From senior citizen women to three-year-old girls, no one is safe in this country. The little girls who have been victims of such heinous crimes are not even aware of what has happened to them. All this will not stop unless the judiciary or the governments sets an example by giving harsh punishments to the accused,” they said.

They further said due to delay in action by the police, the incidents of rape and other crimes were constantly on the rise. They said the police in this case had identified the accused on the very first day and the FIR was also registered the same day, but still the accused managed to escape.

The protesters also threatened to intensify the stir if the accused could not be arrested soon. They said they will block the highway or sit on hunger strike, if the poor girl, who has undergone a major surgery, is not given justice in the case.

Meanwhile, the police have assured to arrest the accused at the earliest.