Muzaffarnagar gangrape: Court representative of victims 'threatened' #Vaw #WTFnews
The Pairokar had accompanied one of the women, whose case has recently been reopened, to the Muzaffarnagar district court.
The police should ensure that the Pairokar "remains safe and is not selectively targeted due to the fact that he is the Pairokar of the seven victims of gangrape during communal violence," they stated in their letter.
The Pairokar or the court representative of the seven womenwho were allegedly gangraped during the communal violence that engulfed Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh in September 2013 was allegedly threatened by one of the accused at a local court on Wednesday.
The Pairokar had accompanied one of the women whose case has recently been reopened, to the Muzaffarnagar district court. Outside the court, Amarpal, one of the accused, allegedly accosted and threatened him, after which the Pairokar drew his licensed revolver for self-defence.
The Pairokar has worked closely in the investigation of the cases and aided the Special Investigation Cell that probed the various cases of communal violence, said sources in the police. He has received death threats earlier, when he lived in Fugana village, where six of the rape cases allegedly took place, they said.
Following the threats, he shifted to Kairana area of Shamli district, while continuing to help the rape victims proceed with their cases in the court.
But the police have dismissed the incident at the court as a mere "misunderstanding".
"The Pairokar saw the accused suddenly and thought his life was in danger. But that wasn't the case. There was a court hearing and both parties happened to be in the court at the same time. We detained both parties and they have come to a mutual understanding, " said Muzaffarnagar SSP KB Singh.
Advocate Vrinda Grover — the lawyer for the seven women— said the incident raised questions about the safety of the Pairokar and the rape victims, adding that his testimony would be "critical" in the trial of the gangrape cases.
"The incident is a cause for concern. The case is at a very critical juncture and the safety of the witnesses and the victims can't be compromised," she said.
After the incident, social activist Shabnam Hashmi and lawyer Ratna Appnender have written to the Muzaffarnagar police and sought their intervention.
The police should ensure that the Pairokar "remains safe and is not selectively targeted due to the fact that he is the Pairokar of the seven victims of gangrape during communal violence," they stated in their letter.
No comments:
Post a Comment