Turning the heat on the Akhilesh Yadav Government over its handling of the plight faced by Muzaffarnagar riot victims, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on the plea by seven women from the minority community who were allegedly gang-raped and sought their cases to be shifted out of the State.
On a PIl filed by the women, who were not named, the bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam sought response of the Centre and Uttar Pradesh Government within two weeks as the women even sought setting up of a SIT to probe the cases lodged by them.
The petitioners represented by advocate Kamini Jaiswal submitted that the victims had no hope from the State administration as the accused were roaming freely despite being named in the complaint. It even sought that the trial of their cases be shifted to any neighbouring State. On the investigation of the case, the petition demanded a team of police officers from outside the State, headed by a senior woman police officer of impeccable integrity to investigate into the complaints of gang-rape during the assault, arson, looting of properties, grievous hurt, attempt to murder and other offences committed on them and their families.
The petition said that the State Government clearly and completely failed in its constitutional obligation as they were gangraped and sexually assaulted by men of the other community with impunity during the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar.
“Despite their names being disclosed in the FIR, they are being permitted to roam around freely,” Jaiswal argued, adding, that even the correct charge was not registered. Under the gang-rape provision IPC Section 376(2)(g) IPC specifically covered gang-rape during communal and sectarian violence. By not applying the correct charge, the police had weakened the case, she alleged.
While six of the women were from Fugana village in Muzaffarnagar district, the seventh one belonged to adjoining Shamli district’s Patti Salaan locality in village lakh.