Villagers protest over rape-murder of 5-year-old
Hundreds of villagers, primarily women, blocked the road connecting Falakata in Alipurduar district today to protest the alleged rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.
Suspecting a preplanned conspiracy stemming from caste divide, an independent civil society fact finding team has demanded evoking Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code, (criminal conspiracy) in the murder of Dalit leader and human rights activist Kedar Singh Jindan.
Jindan, a nativ of Shillai in Sirmaur district, was allegedly murdered in broad daylight on 7 September for taking up issues of atrocities on Scheduled Castes in Sirmaur district. He had also highlighted corruption and misutilisation of funds in government schemes at local level by powerful forces, the fact finding team noted.
Addressing media persons on Thursday, Sukhdev Vishwapremi, a member of the fact finding team, said that there was threat perception to the life of Jindan and he had reported it to the police. A detailed investigation was required into “inaction” by the police in the issues that had been raised by Jindan, he argued.
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The fact finding team visited Shillai on 13 and 14 September. According to a report it shared with the media, the team demanded handing over of the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to unearth “wider conspiracy” behind Jindan’s murder. It also sought safety for family members of the deceased and two eye-witnesses till the conclusion of the trial.
The team claimed that the family of Jindan and his supporters were vulnerable due to dominance of caste factors in the area.
Vishwapremi said that despite an assurance from the state government Jindan’s wife Hem Lata had been given neither a job nor monetary compensation of Rs 20 lakh under Scheduled Caste (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Manshi Asher, another member of the fact finding team, pressed for joint independent investigation by National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Central Information Commission.
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