Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 5

Activists and leaders of the Communist Party of India today alleged that a minor girl from Jharkhand was kidnapped and raped by several persons after taking her to Gumanpura village, falling under the Gharinda police station here.

The incident came to light when the girl somehow managed to escape from her tormentors' house and entered another home in the village.

The sarpanch of the village rescued her and informed the police. Gurnam Kaur, a CPI activist and sarpanch of the village, alleged that even after passing of a few days, the police have failed to get the medical examination of the girl done, much less registration of case. This clearly pointed out that the police were trying to hush up the matter and save the culprits involved in the crime, she alleged.

She said on the intervening night of September 3-4, the 14-year-old girl was found crying and running here and there for rescue. As doors of almost all homes were closed, she entered the house of a poor family that was without any door. The entire family woke up in fear and raised the alarm. As this house is located just opposite to our home, we also got up. We saw the girl who was completely naked and crying in fear.

“I immediately took a bed sheet, covered her up and took her inside my home. Besides soothing her, we informed the control room, narrating the whole incident,” she said. She said an ASI from Khasa came alone and, therefore, we did not hand over the girl to the police until they brought women constables along with them.

She alleged that since the incident, she had been repeatedly calling the SHO to know what action had been taken so far. She said she was shocked to learn that the police had failed to get the medical examination of the girl conducted till now. The police did not even bother to know how she reached the village or to identify the accused, who had allegedly kidnapped and raped her.

She alleged that a preliminary probe in the village revealed that there were two auto drivers who picked her up from the railway station and brought her to the village.Today, high drama was witnessed outside the state care home being run by the Social Security, Women and Child Welfare Department where the girl was admitted by the police. Daswinder Kaur, another CPI leader, said they were not allowed to meet the girl. She alleged the police had neither recovered the clothes of the girl nor the auto-rickshaw in which she was kidnapped.

Yadwinder Singh, SHO, Gharinda police station, refuted the allegations and said they had already rounded up two suspects in the case. He said they were yet to find out what had actually happened because the girl was unable to tell about the incident properly.

On the registration of a case, he pointed out that rape would be confirmed only after the medical examination of the victim. He said the doctor deputed for the medical examination of the girl was not available due to which it got delayed. He said he was now going to Nari Niketan and then to the Civil Hospital for facilitating a medical examination of the victim.

Amarjit Singh Asal, secretary, district CPI, questioned as to how it was possible that doctors were not available for two days.

Now, the medical examination was going to be conducted only after the pressure exerted by our activists who raised the matter with the SSP and other officials concerned.