PATNA: The Opposition Congress has vowed to continue its agitation over the rape and murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl in Bihar's Muzaffarpur until justice is delivered to her family.
On Monday, Congress workers took out a protest march from the party headquarters at Sadaquat Ashram with posters and banners, demanding justice for ‘Bihar’s Dalit girl’ who died on Sunday morning. However, they were stopped by police from marching towards CM Nitish Kumar's residence.
A minor scuffle ensued between police and protesters. Some leaders were also taken into custody and detained for a while. However, the protesters reiterated their resolve to fight for justice for the victim’s family.
They got support from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who wrote on X, “The brutality against a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur and subsequent negligence in her treatment is extremely shameful. If she had received timely treatment, her life could have been saved. But the 'double-engine' government was negligent not only in providing security but in saving her life.”
Demanding justice for the victim, Rahul further wrote, “We will not sit quietly until the victim’s family gets justice. Strict action should be taken against the culprit and negligent officers.” He called the death of the rape victim a case of systematic apathy and medical negligence.
The Congress women's cell is also busy chalking out a strategy to corner the NDA government over women’s safety. Women cell leaders attacked Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for his failure to ensure safety and security to women, who they said were being subjected to sexual assault at frequent intervals across the state.
Meanwhile, a group of people torched the house of the accused and demanded stern action against him for his heinous act. They described the accused identified as Rohit Sahni, a resident of the same village the victim belonged to, as a ‘a psycho rapist’ who had committed such an offence for the second time.
Vidyasagar, superintendent of police (SP), Muzaffarpur (Rural), said the chargesheet against the accused would be submitted in the court within 15 days and the case listed for speedy trial. SSP Sushil Kumar said that the victim was known to the accused. “He was immediately arrested and produced in the court, which remanded him in judicial custody,” he added.
The incident occurred on May 26. The accused lured her by providing her chocolates, took her to a nearby maize field and sexually assaulted her. He also attempted to kill her on the spot by stabbing her with a knife around her chest and neck 20 times, causing multiple injuries.
The rape victim was rushed to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital in Muzaffarpur from where she was referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on Saturday. In the PMCH premises, she had to wait for more than four hours in an ambulance before finally getting a bed.
The victim’s family alleged that the girl was admitted to PMCH after the intervention of some Congress leaders who reached the hospital and talked to senior officials. The deceased’s uncle alleged that they were made to wait for two hours with the minor, but the hospital administration didn’t admit her.
Her uncle said that if the girl had been admitted to PMCH on time, her life could have been saved.
According to police, there were slash wounds on the girl’s throat and chest. The accused tried to kill her by slitting her throat. “Her vocal cords were damaged, and she was unable to speak,” an investigating officer Aditi Kumari said.
