Noida:
It wasn't difficult finding her home. After all, the Noida police had made public, not just her name, but even her address, in complete violation of set norms. And then just as easily, dismissed the faux pas as a clerical error.
But it's clear now, they didn't stop there, nor have they done enough to convince most people that they are serious about getting her justice.
After the Tehelka NDTV sting, where policemen, including those who are directly dealing with her rape case investigation, are openly seen indulging in character assassination, the victim, a teenager, is enraged.
She wasn't home when we reached. Her mother told us, "We have been trying to keep her busy. There are days when all she does is sit in her room and cry. After what happened, she dropped out of school. The humiliation was too much to take. And to add to that the police revealed her name. Whatever little possibility there was that she could have some semblance of a normal life, the police ruined it."
The teenager walks into the house in the middle of this conversation. She adds, "I didn't expect much from the police anyway, and this loose talk is only a reflection of their own petty mindset. Unfortunately for me, the same people are dealing with my case. Where does that leave me?"
In the Tehelka hidden camera expose, one cop had said, "The real issue here is that the girl is a habitual vodka drinker and had asked for a vodka party. She then demanded Rs 6000 for sex. When the money wasn't paid she registered a rape complaint. I have her call records that establish she had a relationship with one of the accused."
Her mother says, "How can they claim she has registered the complaint to put pressure on the accused? If we were so interested in the money, wouldn't we have settled the matter without bothering to go to the police? It's the police who want to settle the matter. Which person, in the right frame of mind, will say something so outrageous and untrue. They are trying to malign her, though she is a minor the police say she is 19 years old to make their concocted 'drinking and loose character' theory appear more believable."
"I'm trying to take my exams as an external student since I had to drop out of school, but this case keeps coming back to make my life miserable," says the girl.
Her mother breaks down, "These cops even forced us to write a letter saying we have no objection to them revealing her name. They begged to us saying it would save their job and in return they would ensure justice for my daughter. I was so naive to have trusted them."
Both mother and daughter know it's a tough battle ahead, not to mention long and demanding. Yet, they tell us, they are in it for the long run. They can't let the boys, who put them through such trauma, go scot-free. "If we give up, it will only embolden them. I can't let that happen after all we've been through."