A week after Dalit rape victim gives birth to baby, accused says ready to marry her

YAMUNANAGAR: A week after a 19-year-old Dalit rape victim gave birth to a baby at the Yamunangar civil hospital, the accused appeared before the protection officer and said that he is ready to marry the girl.

The girl’s family members, however, are objecting to the proposal, saying that they will accept the girl but not the baby. The girl had been sent to a women’s centre in Karnal after the delivery last Wednesday.

The accused Amit, 22, an upper caste youth of Kail village, who is also the neighbour of the victim, had been on the run ever since the girl’s family filed a complaint against him on March 21.

When contacted Yamunanagar DSP (women) Usha Rathee said, “Yes the accused, who is on interim bail, has appeared before the protection officer and said that he was ready to marry the girl and accept her baby. But the matter is now pending in the court so we cannot do anything. It up to the court to decide,” she added.

The DSP confirmed that DNA of the newborn has matched with that of the accused.

District programme officer of the women and child welfare department Sarita Chauhan said, “The boy came to us along with his father and said that he is ready to marry the girl and accept the newborn. The boy even said that he is ready to shift to Yamunanagar if the girl is not ready to live in the village after marriage.”

“The girl is also ready for marriage but her family members are not accepting the marriage proposal. But the boy and girl are adults, the decision is up to them,” she added. As per the sources the boy has also told the police that he was always ready to marry her but her family members were against their relationship.

THE 19YEAROLD GIRL HAD GIVEN BIRTH TO A BABY AT YAMUNAGAR CIVIL HOSPITAL A WEEK AGO