Wife of rape accused to go on hunger strike
Anjali Shukla, the wife of rape accused Hari Shankar Awadh Shukla(35) will be going on an indefinite hunger strike from December 22. Hari Shankar has been presently lodged at the Thane central jail on the charges of raping a 13 -yearold school girl at Mahatma Gandhi Mission (MGM) school at Nerul in Navi Mumbai in December last year.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Anjali Shukla (35), the wife of Hari Shankar said, “From December 22 onwards, I shall be going on an indefinite hunger strike outside the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office at Belapur. I met Hemant Nagrale,the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner to discuss the matter in the last week.”
A letter has been submitted to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner, office of the Director General of Police and the Collector’s office informing regarding the indefinite hunger strike by Anjali.
“The judiciary had promised us for a speedy trial and early second DNA report from Hyderabad.But unfortunately court has failed to fulfil both our promises. More than three months have passed and we are yet do receive the DNA report of my husband from a laboratory at Hyderabad,” added Anjali.
As per the DNA report,Hari Shankar is excluded as the father of the victim’s baby and he is not the father of the said foetus. As per a Right to Information Act (RTI) filed by Anjali,it questioned why the investigating officer had not conducted any inquiry into the victim’s cousin brother whose name was taken by the victim’s mother and victim herself.
As per the discharge order,Hari Shankar is charge sheeted for the offence of penetrative sexual assault. The first incident of sexual assault had occurred in the month of April, 2016.
The second incident of sexual assault occurred in first week of August, 2016. Initially the victim had disclosed the incident to her mother. Prior to lodging of FIR, the victim had telephonic conversation with the accused. The audio conversation of the same was supplied to the investigating officer, but is it not included in the charge sheet.
The transcript of said conversation, though important, is not produced on record by the prosecution. From the statements of mother of the victim and other witnesses an involvement of one boy from the school is made out. The DNA report of Hari Shankar is negative.