Even before the nationwide outrage over the abduction and gangrape of two sisters in Badaun could die down, father of one of the victims today alleged that close associates of the accused, all belonging to the dominant caste of their village, had threatened to unleash another wave of terror once media attention on the case subsided. "They say, once media leaves, Mahabharat bana denge," he told NDTV. The families of the girls also say that they are scared and do not trust the state provided security.
Here are the latest developments:
Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi today reiterated that Rape Crisis Centres will be established by December this year at the cost of Rs 500 crore. "I will see to it that there are no more Badauns," she said adding, "I don't want to go there until I have done something to fix the situation." (Read More)
Earlier in the day, there was high drama outside the office of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow. Water cannons were used on hundreds of workers of the BJP, who were protesting over the increasing instances of crime against women in the state. In the last two weeks, three instances of rape have been reported from the state, including Badaun, where two teenagers were gang-raped and found hanging from a tree.
The BJP, raising questions over the role of police in gang-rape and murder of two sisters in Badaun and rape cases in Azamgarh and Etawah, has demanded that First Information Reports or FIRs should be lodged against police officers right from Inspector General to outpost in charge.
The Chief Minister, on his part, today met Governor B L Joshi; sources said he apprised Mr Joshi of the action taken by the government in the Badaun gangrape that has sparked nation-wide outrage.
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, along with his son Chirag, today visited Badaun to meet the family members of the two girls. He is the latest in a line of political heavyweights who have visited the tiny village in Badaun after the case grabbed national attention. (Read More)
"It is sad that the UP CM has not come even for a visit. He is either scared or he does not care," Mr Paswan said, slamming Akhilesh Yadav. The visit of Consumer Affairs Minister Mr Paswan, a Dalit leader, is the first by any union minister to the village of the victims. His son Chirag added, "A few days ago, (SP chief) Mulayam Singh Yadav said, 'Ladko say galti ho jati hai (Boys sometimes make mistakes).' Don't the boys in UP get encouraged by such statements"?
Yesterday, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati had visited the family members of the victims and alleged that the Samajwadi Party was perpetrating "jungle raj" and there was attempt to put the case on the back burner. Her visit came a day after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visited the village.
Local Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav was the first from the ruling party to visit the village yesterday - five days after the incident - where he faced the anger of inconsolable parents who have alleged that the police did not take prompt action in the case because of their caste. ('Am I Not A Citizen of India', Father of Girl Asks Samajwadi MP)
The United Nations today in a statement condemned the gang-rape and murders in Badaun. "There should be justice for families of the two teenaged girls... Violence against women is a human rights issue, not a women's issue. Violence against women is preventable, not inevitable... The Badaun incident highlights the dangers women in India are exposed to due to lack of toilets," the statement said.
The two teenaged cousins, aged 15 and 14, were gang-raped and killed on the night of May 27. Their bodies were found hanging from a tree the next day. Police had allegedly refused to register a first information report for hours. All five accused who had been identified are under arrest. Two are yet to be identified.
