It was a normal day at a city school and a regular initiative in question -- perhaps, an initiative that backfired on the Uttar Pradesh Police.
On 28 July 2019, a girl from Uttar Pradesh's Unnao was travelling to visit her uncle, who is lodged in the Raebareli prison. Her car was hit by a truck. The incident was termed as "an accident" -- it, however, did not look accidental.
The girl was a rape survivour and the main accused in the case was a powerful minister from the state. To top it, the untraceable truck had its name plate blackened.
Meanwhile, the two aunts, accompanying the girl, were killed in the accident. Her lawyer, who was with her in the car, is also on ventilator.
All this when two years and 25 complaints have passed -- putting the entire law and order machinery of the state under a huge spotlight and leading the entire nation to look for answers.
And a young little girl from Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki is no exception to the quandry.
It was a normal day at a city school and a regular initiative in question -- perhaps, an initiative that backfired on the Uttar Pradesh Police.
UP Police officers are visiting various schools in the state to deliver lectures as part of the police security week. The cops are telling the students about the salient features of being good, law-abiding citizens.
On Wednesday, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) S Gautam delivered one such lecture at the Anand Bhawan school where he had just spoken at length about the right to raise one's voice and protest, when a Class XI student stood up -- and asked some serious questions.
"You said we should raise our voice and protest. We know a teen was raped by a BJP leader. Everyone knows it was no accident. The truck number plate was painted black... It is one thing to protest when an ordinary person is involved, but what happens when the person is someone powerful?
"We know no action will be taken if we protest and even if action is taken, it will be of no use. The girl is in a critical state...If we protest, how will you ensure justice? How will you guarantee my safety? What's the guarantee that nothing will happen to me," she asked as the officer turned ashen-faced.
As the fiesty girl continued, to add to the discomfiture of the ASP with her questions, her schoolmates clapped and cheered her on.
The entire incident was video recorded.
WATCH THE VIDEO |
BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who the survivour had accused of raping her in 2017, has also been blamed for the car crash. The state government has ordered a CBI inquiry into the accident. The FIR named the accused MLA and his family members.
The rape survivour's family members have alleged that they had made multiple complaints of threats and intimidation by the accused MLA's henchmen.
Senior Unnao police officer MP Verma confirmed that 25 complaints were received from the family, but added that "from whatever I have seen, I have not seen any request for security. We are studying the case and we will see."
The case will come up in the Supreme Court on Thursday.
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