Dozens of members of Mahila Adhikar and Vikas Committee staged a protest at Gandhi Park and shouted anti-Government slogans on Saturday. They demanded maximum punishment for all the people accused of gang-raping and murdering a seven-year old girl in Haldwani. The members assembled at Gandhi Park and staged a demonstration there by raising slogans against the State Government. The members expressed their outrage at increasing crime cases against minors and women in the State for the last few years.

Savita Thapa, a protester said that weak policing in the State is resulting in rising crimes against minors, in particular, and women, in general, in Uttarakhand over the past few years. With violence against minor girls and women spiraling across the State, the Government seems to have made it a habit of promising the residents about taking measures to prevent crimes. She demands from the State Government to take steps providing security to the minors and women in the State. Apart from this, she demanded maximum punishment for all the accused of gang-rape and murder of the victim.

lakhiram Vijalwan appreciated the State Government’s decision on forming a fast–track court to give maximum punishment to the offenders of gang-rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Haldwani as the incident is unprecedented in terms of brutality in the history of the region. Apart from this, Government should take strong measures to stop crimes against the women and instilling sense of security among the women, in particular, and residents of the State, in general. According to him, people of the State are outrage over increasing crimes against women in the State. He demanded action against police officers who failed to maintain orders in the State. Bittu Rawat, Soni, Neelu, Manju, Adheer Chamoli, Rajesh Chamoli, Vipul Nautiyal and others were present on the occasion.