Forum demands DGP’s suspension, Nepalese join protest, demand justice
Protesters hand over demands to CM; Nepalese migrants threaten to boycott work if justice is denied
SHIMLA: The joint forum constituted to demand justice for the Class-10 student who was raped and murdered in Kotkhai on July 4, demanded suspension of director general of police (DGP), Somesh Goyal, and staged a protest march outside the deputy commissioner’s office in Shimla, on Monday.
They were joined by Nepalese migrants who demanded justice for the Nepalese national, Suraj, who was arrested as an accused and later died under mysterious circumstance in police custody.
United under the banner of Gudiya Nayay Manch, around 500 local residents and Nepalese migrants gathered at the main square in front of the deputy commissioner’s office on the Mall Road on Monday morning. They marched to the state secretariat and later staged a demonstration. Protestors demanded that the government should fast-track the CBI probe.
Anticipating violence, police cordoned off the secretariat building and closed the main gate. Owing to the protest, traffic came to a halt for more than an hour on the main circular road.
SUSPEND DGP, TIME-BOUND PROBE
Meanwhile, Gudiya Nayay Manch also submitted a memorandum to chief minister Virbhadra Singh and enlisted six main demands.
Convener of the forum, Sharda Damseth, said the forum’s main demands include suspension of DGP Somesh Goyal. “Primarily, he is to be blamed for the shoddy probe in the case,” she said.
She claimed that the public anger continues to grow seeing the way police is handling the case. “The police tried to suppress the case and save the main culprits. This is why people have taken to the streets to ensure justice in the case,” Damseth said.
“Besides this, we also demand that the CBI probe should be conducted on fast-track mode and be completed in a time-bound manner. The custodial death of one of the accused should also be probed by the CBI,” she added.
Apart from this, the forum also demanded that Suraj’s wife, Mamta, be provided adequate security as the “culprits” may try to harm her.
“Mamta’s statement must be recorded before a judicial magistrate at the earliest,” Damseth said, adding that gender sensitisation committees should be constituted in all educational institutions and workplaces in Himachal Pradesh. “Above all, concrete steps must be taken to improve the law and order situation in the state,” she said.
DON’T POLITICISE PROTEST, SAYS KIN
On the other hand, the rape and murder victim’s cousin also addressed the protesters and requested that the protest should not be politicised.
NEPALESE THREATEN TO BOYCOTT WORK
Meanwhile, district president of the Akhil Bharatiya Nepalese Migrant Workers Association, Subarkhar Pant, threatened that Nepalese migrants in Himachal Pradesh will boycott work if justice is not ensured in the case. “It is sad that even though Nepalese have been contributing in Himachal Pradesh’s progress, they are still being ill-treated,” he said.
There are 1.84 lakh migrants labourers registered with the state government. Of these, 17% (31,280) are Nepalese.