In wake of the backlash against migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Gujarat after a youth from Bihar allegedly raped a 14-month-old, the accused’s mother on Thursday appealed to Gujarat’s people to punish her son if found guilty, but not drive out everyone from Bihar from the state.
“Hang him if he is found guilty for the crime but do not harass and drive out the Biharis because of my son’s sin,” Ramawati Devi said in an emotional appeal before a group of media personnel.
A resident of village Natwar-Kangoi falling under Manjhi block in Saran district, she is from an extremely poor Scheduled Caste family while the youth’s father Sawalia Sah works as labourer.
The entire family, who live in a dilapidated house, is in a state of shock ever since they got to know about the alleged involvement of their son in a heinous crime.
“My son is a minor and mentally unsound as he often behaved abnormally at times. He could study up to class 5 only. He is third among four brothers. Two years ago, he went to Gujarat with his friends to make a living without informing anyone. We got to know about his whereabouts few months back only,” said his father.
Sonbarsha panchayat’s former headman Dallan Prasad Yadav, in whose house the youth had been a helper before he left for Gujarat, said he found him grumpy, liable to ignore instructions and do only what pleased him. “But I doubt he would sexually assault an infant,” Yadav said.
{{/usCountry}}Sonbarsha panchayat’s former headman Dallan Prasad Yadav, in whose house the youth had been a helper before he left for Gujarat, said he found him grumpy, liable to ignore instructions and do only what pleased him. “But I doubt he would sexually assault an infant,” Yadav said.
{{/usCountry}}Mantu Shah Gond, a relative of the accused, said that the family was shocked to hear the news about the alleged rape.
“Somebody told them about the uproar over their son’s conduct. They are frightened now. They are very poor but still out of the ambit of government schemes,” he added.
According to other village residents, the youth had hung around with some local tent house workers who paid him some amount as pocket money. In 2016, he abruptly disappeared and later told his parents that he had reached Gujarat with some friends, named Mohammad Imran, Meraj, Vijay and Pappu, for work.
Vijay, who is back to the village after the backlash against north Indians following the sexual assault involving his friend, said that Uma Singh, a resident of village Maripur-Kala and a labour contractor in Gujarat, had helped them with a job in a factory. Around 40 boys and men from the Manjhi block worked in the same company.
He said the backlash was horrible and many fled their homes and work for safety.