The families of three rape victims in Uttar Pradesh have now joined hands to fight for justice.
The families of the Ashiana gangrape victim in which the 13-year-old girl was gang raped by six men in a moving car, Kanpur DSP rape victim who was raped by a deputy superintendent of police posted in Kanpur and the Malhaur gangrape victim who was gangraped and killed by a group of men while returning from her tailoring classes, have sent a joint memorandum to UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, demanding stern punishment for the accused.
The father of Kanpur DSP rape case victim has said that his daughter was a class 10 student and was raped by a deputy superintendent of police posted in Kanpur. The accused has been arrested and is presently in jail where he is enjoying VIP treatment in jail. The mother of the Malhaur rape victim, meanwhile, said that though it has been two years since she lost her daughter, the accused persons are living a free life and keep threatening her and her family with dire consequences if they pursue the case. The father of the Aashiana gangrape victim said that his daughter was brutally raped in 2005 but the trial of the prime accused has not begun. The prime accused, who insists he was a minor when the incident took place, enjoys immense political clout and his uncle has been given a Lok Sabha ticket by the ruling Samajwadi Party.
The victims, in their memorandum, have narrated how the “influential” accused persons are leading a comfortable life while they are struggling for justice. They have also demanded that people with criminal background, particularly those charged with crime against women, should not be given tickets to contest election. Meanwhile, these families also participated in a march organised by the All India Democratic Women’s Association to draw the government’s attention towards the need for speedy trial of rape cases through fast track courts.