Champawat alleged gang rape case of minor turns into political slugfest in Uttarakhand
Champawat alleged gang rape case of minor turns into political slugfest in Uttarakhand
Dehradun, May 8
The alleged gang rape of a minor girl in the home district of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami allegedly by some ruling party leaders and subsequent police inquiry claiming that it was a fake case has started a slugfest between the ruling BJP. opposition parties and other social groups. Several protest demonstrations were held at several places including capital Dehradun seeking judicial probe into the matter. There are several unanswered questions which the opposition parties and social and women groups are asking the authorities.
The members of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch along with other social organizations, staged a protest at Gandhi Park in Dehradun terming the entire episode as dubious and accused BJP leaders of weaponizing minor girls to serve their own political interests.
Kamla Pant of the Mahila Manch stated that the BJP government has consistently engaged in cover-ups of heinous crime indulged in allegedly by its’ own members. She charged that a cover-up is still ongoing to this day in the Ankita Bhandari case, where the identity of the “VIP” involved remains unknown. In contrast, regarding the Champawat case, the police reached the conclusion that the complaint was fabricated within a mere few hours. She further alleged that the father of the girl who was found by the police naked and tied with ropes inside a room has been placed under house arrest. Furthermore, when the incident came to light, even the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) was summoned to provide an explanation. She asserted that the BJP’s track record has been one of consistent cover-ups.
Nirmala Bisht of the Mahila Manch argued that even if the police’s narrative were true, the question still remains to be answered. She asked that if the police theory is true then why the BJP members are using young girls as pawns in their internal political feuds, and why is the police fail to take action against them? She emphasized that there are numerous aspects of this entire affair that appear highly suspicious. She added that, in recent times, the state has witnessed several such cases wherein individuals affiliated with the BJP have been implicated in crimes against women. Presiding over the proceedings, Trilochan Bhatt of the Uttarakhand Insaniyat Manch pointed out that Kamal Rawat—whom the police are currently identifying as a conspirator—had himself previously been incarcerated in connection with the rape of a minor, only to be subsequently released by the High Court. At that time, the police neither claimed that the case was fabricated nor filed an appeal against the High Court’s verdict. The protesters were also addressed by Brigadier Sarvesh Dangwal (retd) , Sujata Paul, Swati Negi, Vimala Kohli, Geetika, Uma Bhatt, Vijay Bhatt, Manish Kediyal, and others. All of them expressed grave concern regarding the crimes being committed against women in the state and appealed for unity to carry this struggle forward. Many individuals, including Prof. Raghavendra, Dr. Ravi Chopra, Ishwar Pal Sharma, Padma Gupta, and Vijay Naithani, were present on this occasion.
Meanwhile, in light of recent developments, the Uttarakhand Mahila Manch stated that Champawat police force that discovered the girl r confined in a room, naked and bound by ropes, are now labelling this rape incident as a fabrication. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) himself has come forward to issue a statement, claiming that the medical examination revealed no evidence of rape.
THE Manch said that Instead of filing a case against the perpetrators in court, the police—on the contrary—kept the father and daughter under house arrest for two days. Without initiating any judicial inquiry process—and after subjecting them to enticement, intimidation, and threats—they coerced the daughter into making statements of their own choosing. The haste with which the government—both directly and through its administrative machinery—has attempted to cover up this grave matter has further exposed the true character, conduct, and face of this administration, a statement by the manch said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Pramita Singh, spokesperson for the Uttarakhand State Congress, has written a letter of complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) regarding the allaged Champawat gang-rape case, demanding a judicial inquiry into the entire matter.
Dr. Pramita Singh stated that the entire case is being given a new spin following the emergence of a leader from the ruling party as the prime accused. Various doubts are arising regarding the police investigation. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to conduct an impartial investigation into the gang-rape and to provide security to the victim and her family.
Jyoti Rautela ,President of the Uttarakhand Mahila Congress has also demanded an impartial judicial inquiry into the Champawat incident, with the aim of curbing the rising tide of crimes against women within the state.
