The Tribune, January 15, 2004

15-yr-old ‘sold off’, raped
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Madhuban (Karnal), January 14
A case of allegedly buying and then raping a 15-year-old Dalit girl by some persons has come to light. The main accused has been arrested, while the hunt was on for at least 10 other co-accused. As per information available, Neetu (name changed) was living with her cousin at Hardwar in Uttaranchal. On December 29, 2003, she came to Ambala with a woman living in their neighbourhood in a rented house. A native of Ambala, the woman took her to a market in the city area on December 31 and bought two saris and cosmetics for her. Few hours later, four youths came to the woman’s house in a Tata Sumo. She was sent along with them to Hassanpur village, near Karnal. The very dawn of the New Year for her started with the blessings of the village women who offered her money as ‘shagun’. She was still unaware of what was going on around her. But, when the women commented “Bahu to suthri sai” (bride is beautiful), she realised that she had been married. After the dinner, her bed was arranged in Satish’s room, with whom she was illegally sent-off performing the custom of putting a ‘duppatta’ on her head.

In a statement recorded before the police, Neetu alleged that Satish tried to rape her on the first night. She managed to escape somehow. The matter was discussed among the elders of the family next day. It was decided to send her with Satish to their maternal uncle’s house at Narukheri village. There also, she was forced to sleep in a separate room with Satish. Finally, she fell ‘prey’ to Satish who raped her during the night.

Next day, they came back to Hassanpur. Manjit, a brother of Satish, also raped her there, she alleged. The tragedy continued to haunt her for many days. On January 12, Satyawan, another brother of Satish, also raped her. Next night, she managed to escape from their clutches and went to a nearby dera in the same village where she passed the whole night with an old woman residing in the dera. Unfortunately, the woman again handed her over to Satish, next morning.

On the evening of January 13, she managed to escape from Satish’s house at Hassanpur and went to the police station at Madhuban. She narrated the story to the police. The investigating officer said a case under Sections 372, 373, 376, 366-A and 114 of the IPC and Section 3 of the SC/ST Act had been registered against the alleged culprits. The police managed to arrest Satish in the morning today. A police team was sent to Hardwar to nab the woman who had allegedly sold the girl to Satish and his brothers. Earlier, Neetu’s medical check-up was conducted here which confirmed that she was raped.