COMMUNITY ELDERS TRY TO COVER UP RAPE OF 3 DALIT GIRLS
in a bid to get into the 63-year-old CM’s good books. The leaders are quick to arrange “ksheerabhisekham” (milk bath) ceremonies across the state whenver the government takes a decision in favour of a group.
For example, in January when KCR announced that his government would give ₹1,000 pension per month to single women, TRS’ women’s wing arranged a programme, where women bathed KCR’s portrait in milk.
In October last, when Telangana topped the Ease of Doing Business index, state deputy chief minister Mahmood Ali, along with hundreds of party workers, washed KCR’s picture with milk at Charminar.
“This type of culture was never witnessed in the state even in the most feudal regime of the Nizams. Besides idols of gods, milk bath is given to statues of personalities like Gandhi and Ambedkar, when they are desecrated as a mark of purification,” Telangana joint action committee chairman Prof M Kodandaram said.
Congress spokesman Dasoju Sravan said giving milk bath to KCR’s portraits reflected the “selfish” attitude of the people who held them. “They expect favours from the government. And KCR, too, likes such acts because it gives him a godly image among the public,” he said.
Three Dalit girls from Jharkhand’s Chatra district have levelled rape charges against a group of boys from the same region, and accused community elders of shielding the accused when the matter was brought to their notice.
The girls said they were walking down the Chatra-Itkhori road on Friday when three boys from their locality accosted them near Trog More, 10 kilometers from Chatra town. When the victims rejected their advances, the accused allegedly dragged them behind nearby bushes and took turns to rape them.
Instead of taking action against the boys, community elders allegedly held several rounds of negotiations between the two parties.
Exasperated, the three girls approached the Chatra Sadar police on Monday.
Acting swiftly on their complaint, police nabbed the three boys – also Dalits – within a matter of hours.
The girls said their families were advised against approaching the police.
“The community elders wanted us to resolve the issue without punishing the guilty,” they stated.
“We took prompt action after the girls complained to us on Monday. We are also looking into their allegations of community elders trying to cover up the crime,” said Chatra Sadar police station officer-in-charge Ram Awadh Singh.
“The boys have confessed to the crime,” he added.
THE GIRLS SAID THEIR FAMILIES WERE ADVISED AGAINST GOING TO THE POLICE AND COMMUNITY ELDERS WANTED THEM TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITHOUT PUNISHING THE ACCUSED BOYS