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.
Jaya Pal, the widow of Umesh Pal, alleged that she has been receiving threats over the phone after her husband, a prime witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case of 2005, was gunned down near his home in Prayagraj on February 24.
In a shocking development, a video clip posted on social media indicates that the victim was friendly with one of the sons of former MP Atiq Ahmad, who is an accused in the murder.
The video shows Puja Pal, SP MLA and widow of Raju Pal, reprimanding Jaya for ‘entertaining’ Atiq’s son at her house.
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“I had warned you several times but you fed him ‘parathas’ whenever he came to your house,” she is heard saying even as other women try to stop her from speaking further.
Jaya said she wanted to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and give him some information.
“I have full faith in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath but the government should now take real action against the killers of my husband. I want to meet the chief minister as I want to give some information to him” Jaya said.
She said she had informed officials about the threats, adding: “My family and I should be given protection.”
Umesh Pal’s mother Shanti Pal also alleged that Atiq Ahmad and his kin are responsible for her son’s murder and demanded strict action against them.
Shanti Pal is also a witness to her son’s murder. She was present at the gate of her house when the assailants fired on Umesh.
“I found blood all over his body after the assailants had fled,” she recalled.
Jaya said Umesh was attacked on earlier occasions too.
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