Rape victim writes in blood to PM, UP CM

RAE BARELI: A day after a rape victim demanded action against accused who are allegedly threatening her to withdraw case, by writing in her blood to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the Rae Bareli police on Tuesday said they were ensuring the safety of the girl, and her younger sister, who had lodged another complaint here.

The younger sister had approached the police with a complaint that a fake Facebook profile had been created in her name to malign the family.

The rape case is lodged in Barabanki and is pending in the court with chargesheet already filed, said Shashi Shekhar Singh, additional superintendent of police (ASP), Rae Bareli.

“The younger sister had approached us with a complaint that a fake Facebook profile had been created in her name to malign the family. We have registered a case under section 66-A of the IT Act,” said the ASP.

“We have approached the Facebook to help them identify the man, whose account was being used to intimidate and malign the victim,” he said.

In the letter, the rape victim had claimed threat to her family from the “accused whose father is an influential man” and hence being protected by the police.

Addressed to the PM/CM, the letter sought strict action against the accused. The girl had also threatened to take her life, if action is not taken against those troubling her.

On being asked about the victim’s letter, the ASP said he did not have any information about it.

When contacted, the victim’s father said, the girl was forced to write in her blood as the police has failed to take action against the accused, who are roaming scot-free.

“My daughter had to leave her studies, and those from the accused side, are threatening us. They want us to withdraw the case,” he said, while confirming that the letter has been sent to the Prime Minister

The younger sister had approached us with a complaint that a fake Facebook profile had been created in her name to malign the family. We have registered a case under section 66A of the IT Act SHASHI SHEKHAR SINGH, ASP

and UP’s chief minister. “It is our last hope,” he said. Police said the original FIR was lodged in Barabanki Kotwali in March 2017 and two youths have been named.

While Divya Pande is an accused, his friend Ankit Verma, was booked as co-accused. The girl had alleged that she was raped at Ankit’s flat.

The victim and the two youths used to study in the same private college on Dewa Road in Lucknow.

“While studying in B.Tech, the girl allegedly came close to one of the boys. However, the relationship ended on a bitter note and the girl lodged a complaint of rape against them,” said the ASP.

Before they could be arrested, the high court granted stay on their arrest, said Singh.

The Barabanki police, meanwhile, filed a chargesheet against them on September 10, 2017. The matter is pending in a Barabanki court. Both the youths are a resident of Lucknow. The victim girls are currently living in Rae Bareli’s Nirala Nagar locality.

Claiming that the girls were not being threatened by anybody in Rae Bareli, Singh said we are waiting for the response from Facebook to identify the man who had been “maligning the image of the younger sister.”

As for the rape case, he said proceedings are on in Barabanki.

He said the younger sister is a student of a reputed public school here and has recently appeared for class XII practical examinations.