A woman activist who came to support Farmer’s Protest wasraped at Delhi- Haryana Tikri border. On Sunday late night HaryanaPolice arrested six people for gang rape and abduction of the 25-year-oldactivist from West Bengal. The victim was hospitalized after showing Covid19symptoms who later passed away.
The accused are identified as Anil Malik, Anup Singh.Ankush Sangwan, Jagdish Brar and two unnamed women. They had pitched the tentsat the Tikri border under the banner of Kisan Social Army. The accused are nowbooked under sections 365, 342, 376-D, 506, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.
According to FIR details, on April 1, the delegation offarmers including the accused had organized a public meeting in Hooghly, WestBengal. The victim who was an artist, designer, and activist came in theircontact and decided to go to protest site in Delhi to support the farmer’sprotest.
On the way to Punjab, on April 11 the victim wasassaulted by Anil Malik in train. Next day, on April 12 they reached theprotest site where the victim was forced to share the tent with the accused.She told her father about the assault and that the accused were trying topressurize and blackmail her.
After the family brought the issue to the notice of the farmleaders, her statement was video recorded and she was shifted to another tent withwomen protestors. A few days later, thevictim was diagnosed with Covid19 and was admitted to the hospital where herfather joined her for treatment.
On April 30, the victim passed away. Before taking herlast breath she requested the accused to be punished but without harming farmer’sprotest.
After the horrifying incident, no farmer leader iswilling to explain the delay in filing the FIR. SKM leaders confirmed that theycame to know about the harassment of the 25-year-old woman at Tikri border.According to them, the investigation was done on the matter. However, they didnot reach the police and refused to provide any details.
BKU Ekta Ugrahan woman wing head Harinder Kaur Bindusaid, “Most of the SKM leaders knew about the incident, we are surprised whythey kept silent and did not allow us to meet her father, who was under immensepressure.”
Punjab Kisan Union leader Jasbir Kaur Natt was in directcontact with the victim. Jasbir Kaur said, “It is the matter of serious concernwhich needs to be debated threadbare. Here at the protest, there is nodifference between males and females, and women in large numbers areparticipating. The farmers will investigate and ensure no such thing is allowedto happen again.”