UP NH gang-rape victims knock SC door for action against Azam

Mother-daughter duo’s plea also seeks transfer of case to Delhi, action against erring cops
Azam Khan | PTI Photo
Azam Khan | PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The mother-daughter duo, who were dragged out of a car and gang-raped near a highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district, on Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case to Delhi besides registration of FIR against UP minister and SP leader Azam Khan for his remarks as well as the erring policemen.

The victims, residents of Noida, in their petition, stated that they had lost confidence in the police force in Uttar Pradesh and the case should be transferred to Delhi and adequate arrangements be made for their rehabilitation and security.

In the plea filed through lawyer Kislay Pandey, the victims sought an order for transfer of the trial of the present case to Delhi from Bulandshahar. In the plea, the victims sought an FIR against Azam Khan who had said that the gangrape case could be a political conspiracy against the Uttar Pradesh Government.

The victims also demanded a court-monitored CBI probe in the case and alleged that police officials were helping the accused. She demanded registration of FIRs against the errant police officials too.

Allahabad High Court had on Friday ordered a CBI inquiry into the case observing that it was not satisfied with the police investigation so far. The High Court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the July 29 incident, also said that it was intended to monitor the investigation into the case.

The incident had taken place when six members of a Noida-based family were travelling to Shahjahanpur in western Uttar Pradesh. At the National Highway passing through Bulandshahr, their car was stopped by criminals, who dragged the 13-year-old girl and her mother out and raped them in a field nearby.

The girl and her family members were on their way to attend a funeral late on July 29 when the armed men stopped their car, tied and beat up the men and gang-raped the girl and her 35-year-old mother. After a country-wide outrage against the heinous crime, the state government had suspended seven policemen, including the Bulandshahr senior superintendent of police, for laxity. The victims had alleged that police did not pay attention to their complaints initially.

The main accused in the gangrape case, Saleem Bawaria, was arrested on Monday. The plea also alleged that police did not come for help despite victims making several distress calls on helpline number.

“The victim dialed police emergency number after the incident to seek help from the police, but it did not help at all,” it said.

The mother-daughter duo were ravished barely 100 meters away from the police post, it said, adding that the offenders snatched cash to the tune of `36,000 and some jewellery from the victims. The plea has also sought “appropriate damages” for the victims besides a direction that the state and others.  (with PTI inputs)

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