Molestation case: action sought against sarpanch
Nearly a week after a sarpanch and his brother were booked for outraging the modesty of an Anganwadi helper in a Jhajjar village, the victim’s family has demanded that the accused be arrested.
Nearly a week after a sarpanch and his brother were booked for outraging the modesty of an Anganwadi helper in a Jhajjar village, the victim’s family has demanded that the accused be arrested.
A police source said the victim had alleged that on January 20, Narender, the brother of Sehlanga village sarpanch Surender, called the victim, mother of two, to his house on the pretext of meeting health workers. When she reached the house, Narender molested her and tried to rape her, but when she resisted, he thrashed her.
She was later thrown on the road outside the sarpanch’s house, the victim alleged, adding that no one except the accused was present in the house at that time. Some villagers passing by saw her lying on the road and informed her family.
Her father told mediapersons that when he reached the spot, the victim was lying unconscious and rushed her to Jhajjar civil hospital. Talking to Hindustan Times, the victim’s brother-in-law alleged that doctors at the Jhajjar civil hospital did not attend to her and asked them to approach Jamalpur village primary health centre to get the medico-legal report and treatment.
Later, police recorded the victim’s statement and registered a case under village elders’ pressure on 22nd January, he added, alleging that none of the accused had been arrested so far. In her complaint, the victim alleged that sarpanch Surender had made attempts to outrage her modesty earlier as well, but she had remained silent due to social pressure. Police had booked sarpanch Surender and his brother Narender for rape and outraging modesty.
Kin allege political interference
Following Jhajjar police’s failure to arrest the accused, the victim’s family on Saturday met Rohtak range inspector general of police Anil Kumar Rao and urged him to arrest the accused, who were “roaming freely” in the village.
They alleged that the sarpanch’s family had been protected from police action due to his “close affiliation” with a Haryana minister.
Later, they told media persons that the sarpanch was a relative of state education minister Geeta Bhukkal, and police was shying away from arresting the accused under political clout. However, police said main accused Narender was arrested on Saturday morning.
Victim to meet president for justice
Talking to mediapersons in Rohtak, the victim alleged that due to the beating she received from Narender, she had been confined to her bed for the last five days. Demanding their arrest, she said she would go to Delhi on Sunday and urge the president to allow her to commit suicide for failing to get justice.