Guwahati:
With the nation demanding better safety for women and stricter anti-rape laws, a minor girl from Assam has come forward with her story. The 16-year-old girl, who was allegedly gang-raped and brutally assaulted last year, is still awaiting justice - the police have reportedly filed a chargesheet now, four months after the incident. The son of a local Congress leader is the prime accused in the case.
Inspired by the protests across the country and the courage of the 23-year-old medical student, who was gang-raped in a Delhi bus on December 16, the girl has spoken out in the hope of getting justice. "The girl in Delhi is getting justice. I am still fighting for it. I can't attend college, can't face people. I want justice and I want it swiftly," the class 12th student told NDTV today.
"I don't want any other girl to go through what I had to and that is why I want justice," the teen says.
The girl alleges that on August 11 last year, four men, including a lawyer who is also the son of a local Congress leader, kidnapped her in a vehicle and raped her several times before assaulting her with iron rods. They then allegedly left her on a highway and returned to rape her again. She says she was left on the road unconscious. The girl reportedly spent a fortnight in the hospital. Her medical report said that she was brutally assaulted.
The police, according to the girl, lodged a first information report (FIR) more than 48 hours after she reported the incident; that too because her mother pressurised them to file the complaint. The girl was allegedly called to the police station at 10:30 pm. The law says that a woman cannot be called to a police station after 6 pm. The teen also says that her statement was recorded at a guest house instead of a police station, where there was no woman police official present.
The teen's mother has alleged that the prime accused in the case - the Congress leader's son - and his family have been threatening them to withdraw the case. The accused was arrested and is currently out on bail.