Fearing harassment, three sisters stop going to school in Dankaur, claims father

On January 15, the two suspects, Siraj and Jenul, were arrested from their residence. However, on January 18, they obtained bail and returned back to the village

The father of three minor girls from Dankaur area of Gautam Budh Nagar has claimed that his daughters have stopped going to school allegedly fearing the harassment by two men in their locality.

According to the police, a complaint in the matter was filed on January 9 at the Dankaur police station.

This father had submitted a complaint against the two -- identified by their first names as Siraj and Jenul -- at the local police station and they were remanded in judicial custody on January 15. However, after getting out on bail, the men have allegedly started harassing the girls again, and the girls are now afraid of even stepping out of their homes, he said.

“My oldest daughter is in class 11, the second one is in class 9 and the youngest studies in class 6. They study at a private school in the village which is at a walking distance (about 15 minutes) from our home. For the past one month, some men in the locality have been harassing them. On January 9, one of them even held my oldest daughter’s hand forcibly and tried to pull her to him; she managed to shake him off and fled to safety,” said the father, who works as a mason.

According to the police, a complaint in the matter was filed on January 9 at the Dankaur police station.

“Both Siraj and Jenul are residents of the same village. On the basis of the father’s complaint, an FIR was registered against the suspects under Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code,” said DK Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

On January 15, Siraj and Jenul were arrested from their residence. “They were produced before the court and sent to judicial custody,” said the officer.

However, on January 18, they obtained bail and returned back to the village, said the victim’s father.

“They are now harassing the whole family. They are spreading rumors in the village about my daughters and bad-mouthing them. They have threatened us with dire consequences if we complain about them to the authorities again. Frightened of them, my daughters have stopped stepping out altogether -- they are no longer going to school either,” he said.

On Tuesday, the father reported the matter to the local police station after which the Dankaur station house officer (SHO) and assistant commissioner of police visited the family in the evening.

“We met the girls and their father on Tuesday evening and have assured them that police will be present in the village and their security will be ensured. We have increased police patrolling in the area. The father’s claims of girls not being able to go to school for fear of the two men is being verified -- an inquiry has been initiated into the matter. Further action is underway,” said Sanjay Kumar, SHO, Dankaur police station.

When contacted on Wednesday, the father said that the girls are still afraid of going to school. “The police officers have given us their contact numbers in case of any emergency but my daughters are still traumatised and fearful of stepping out. It will take time for them to gain the confidence to go back to school,” he said.