In a redux of the Kahtua-Unnao rape horrors, a 17-year-old Dalit girl, allegedly kidnapped and held captive by a Muslim neighbour in the Metiabruz locality of Kolkata since November 2017, is still to be freed despite High Court direction.

The Kolkata police (Garden Reach police station) have not even raided the house of the accused, who goes by the name of Mintoo Mian and who was recognised by the father as well as the nephew of the victim as the abductor, in search of the missing teen even though the Kolkata High Court ordered on February 16 that a raid be conducted and a report be submitted to it by the police.

"On the contrary, the joint commissioner of police of Kolkata, whom the court had issued direction to for the raid and recovery of the girl, tweeted that it was a rumour that the girl was missing and that those found spreading the rumour will be punished," Uday Chandra Jha, the lawyer for the victim's family told DNA.

Jha also claimed that the police were pressing the family to withdraw their complaint. "The father and the nephew of the victim, who are the chief witnesses in the case were called to police headquarters in Lal Bazaar and were coerced to take their complaint back."

Initially at the time of registration of the FIR, the family did not know the abductor, but on November 3 the father and the victim's nephew spotted her with Mintoo Mian, who lives barely a couple of kilometres from their house. The family informed the police, but to no avail. A writ petition was filed on January 24.

The court said that since a minor girl was involved , the police should "submit a report to this Court on February 2, 2018 as to the progress of the investigation" as also "inform this Court as to the steps taken for the purpose of recovering the minor girl."

"His minor daughter can be recovered from the premises [of Mintoo Mian]," the court was informed, but the apathetic state counsel told the court "despite the best of the efforts, the victim girl could not be recovered". The state counsel also told the court, "The police have also sent intimation to the private respondent through Garden Reach police station. The response is awaited."

In view of the nature of allegations made by the petitioner, it would be appropriate to direct the police to ensure a raid is carried at the premises identified by the petitioner to recover the victim girl. The police will submit a report as to the result of the raid on the next date of hearing.

U-turn by Kathua Bar Association

Srinagar: The Bar Association of Kathua on Friday distanced itself from the Hindu Ekta Manch and claimed that its member lawyers never obstructed the police from filling the charge sheet in the brutal rape and murder case of an eight-year-old tribal nomad girl. The Association said the incident was misreported by the media. “Neither did we have intention in doing so nor have we done so,” said Association president Kirty Bhushan Mahajan.