The case of gang rape of a 19-year-old student in Bhopal has snowballed into a political controversy, with opposition parties attacking the ruling government for its laxity. The Bhopal gang rape victim had to undergo torturous time at the hands of insensitive police officials as she was made to visit multiple hospitals for medical check-ups in order to record her statement, the survivor told media. Political parties turned this incident into a slugfest, as one party after another attacked the government and made a beeline to support the girl's family.
Earlier, the opposition parties staged a protest against the deteriorating law and order situation in the city, while Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai visited the girl's house. While staging a demonstration, Congress demanded the removal of Bhupendra Singh as home minister. Senior Congress leader Jyotirdaitya Scindia, in a series of tweets, said, "It is shameful that a rape victim was made to run from one police station to another and from one hospital to another to get her statements registered".
Congress state president Arun Yadav said that if this was the condition of a police personnel's daughter, the situation of ordinary people can be imagined. He said this was the grim picture of a state where the chief minister was worried only about headlines, and not action.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked the state government. He was in the state capital to address a rally of AAP workers. He said, "the chief minister has failed to ensure safety of girls in his 14-year-long rule. National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data shows that six rapes are reported every day in the state under his watch."
Insensitive authorities
The survivor was turned away from three police stations when she approached them to file a complaint, under the excuse that it was not under the station's jurisdiction. A senior officer at the GRP station even termed the complaint as ‘filmy’.
The victim, who appeared in front of media with her face covered, recounted her experience at the hands of officials who made her visit multiple hospitals. The government soon went into damage control mode and issued transfer orders to inspector general of police (Bhopal) and SP (Rail) Anita Malviya, who was seen laughing while answering questions on the case on TV.
The government also transferred a CSP and suspended the in-charges of three police stations, and two sub-inspectors, for not registering the case when the survivor approached them.
The girl, daughter of a police couple, was sent from one police station to another in the first 24 hours. The police, on instructions from Home Minister Bhupendra singh, formed a special investigation team. Later, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh ordered strict disciplinary action against the police officials who were accused of dereliction of duty.
SP (Rail) Anita Malviya received much hate on social media as people expressed their resentment on the insensitivity displayed by her during a TV interview on the case. She was seen laughing while answering questions asked by the crew. Her unconcerned attitude, too, has put the state government in the dock.
Meanwhile, police action also came under public scrutiny after it claimed that all the four accused had been arrested. Later, it turned out that the fourth was an innocent driver who was wrongly apprehended. Realising the mistake, the police released him and the other three were produced in the court, while the two were sent to jail and one was remanded to police custody. One of the accused is still on the run.
Meanwhile, in an unprecedented show of anger the citizens of Bhopal came out in hordes to protest the incident and demanded strong punitive action including capital punishment against rapists.
Bar council
Taking a cue from the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi, the District Bar Association president Rajesh Vyas has urged the advocates to not take up the case of the accused in the court. He said, “Advocates are shocked and hurt. Hence, we have decided against representing the accused. I have also urged them not to defend the accused in the case. It is a very heinous crime.”
However, former advocate general of state and Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha said that lawyers must refrain from taking such extreme steps, otherwise the case will be transferred to some other place and the accused can take advantage of this.
