DEHRADUN: Tensions flared at the local police station late Saturday and into Sunday morning after Hindu right-wing organisations staged a significant protest over the handling of an alleged "Love Jihad" case involving a young woman from Chhattisgarh.
The unrest erupted following accusations that the investigating officer displayed a biased attitude toward the victim's family during the initial inquiry into the disappearance and subsequent recovery of the young woman. The victim, who had been living with her grandmother in the Bhurarani area for two months while working at a local bank, allegedly fell prey to the situation while escorting her ailing grandmother back to Chhattisgarh via train.
"She called us a week ago, pleading for help," stated a distressed family member. "We rushed to Rudrapur, and with the intervention of local Bajrang Dal leaders, we managed to secure her release." The situation escalated when the designated investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Neha Rana, took the young woman for a medical examination on Saturday.
According to the family, the victim initially left with her identification documents willingly. However, upon returning three hours later, her demeanor and stated intentions had reportedly changed drastically. Family members and activists alleged a conspiracy, claiming police deliberately separated them from the victim and allowed her to speak privately with the accused youth.
"We suspect foul play by the investigating officer," alleged a leader from the protesting group. "They engineered a scenario where her testimony could be influenced." The ensuing confrontation saw activists and the victim's relatives staging a sit-in protest at the Kotwali Police Station until Sunday morning.
After lengthy negotiations with Additional Station House Officer Naveen Budhani, the police assured the protestors that the investigation would be transferred. Police confirmed that a First Information Report has been registered against the accused youth under sections pertaining to rape. ASHO Naveen Budhani stated, "An FIR has been registered based on the complaint. On the orders of senior officials, the investigation has now been handed over to a woman Sub-Inspector, Neha Dhyani, at the Transit Camp Police Station."
The protestors, which included district leaders like Rajendra Mehra (Vishwa Hindu Parishad District Secretary), Bittu Sharma, and Yogendra Chauhan (City Convener), dispersed after receiving assurances regarding the change in investigative leadership.