AHMEDABAD: The Botad gang rape survivor, who delivered a baby boy only to give up its custody to the state in July after she was denied abortion by Gujarat high court, is caught between rituals of two communities.

The survivor's Devipujak community has allegedly ostracized her family after she was touched by 'untouchables'. Meanwhile, the family of accused rapists is forcing her to change her attire and behaviour as practised by women in the minority community.

According to the survivor's mother, their community has cut all relations with them till she undergoes a 'shuddhikaran' or 'purification' ritual.

"The issue is not just rape but she was touched by the accused — members of Dafer community who are deemed untouchables by our community. My community is insisting on purification ritual by a bhuva in the presence of our Goddess and community," says the rape-survivor's mother who stays in Paliyad taluka of Botad district.

The survivor's family is now scrambling to put together the hefty fee of Rs 50,000 for the ritual. "If we do not accept this ritual who will marry my daughters," says the survivor, who is mother to 17 and 15-year-old girls.

As if this was not enough, the wives of two accused who reside in the same village thrashed the survivor four days ago for wearing choli and lehanga. "They beat my daughter black and blue for not wearing Muslim attire. They even asked my daughter to act as per Islam as she had given birth to a child of one of their men," she said.

A villager — Sardarsinh — who helped the rape survivor to fight the legal battle in HC said the family of the accused got into a scuffle with the victim for not wearing Muslim attire.

Botad district superintendent of police S K Gadhvi said a probe is on into the survivor's complaint against the wives of the accused for physically harassing her.