Mother of a 15-year-old gangrape victim, who had launched a campaign against rapists, was allegedly shot at outside her residence in Southeast Delhi’s Zakir Nagar by two motorcycle-borne youths on Friday morning.
“Both the youths, who had covered their faces, managed to flee after committing the crime. Raids are being conducted on possible hideouts,” said Romil Baaniya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-east).
The injured woman was admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre where she underwent surgery. Her condition is stated to be out of danger, said
officials. “One of the bullets hit the woman at the back after which she collapsed on the spot. Another boy, along with the attacker, was standing with a motorcycle near the scene. They fled the spot,” said officials.
Police suspect she was attacked by hired criminals. The girl — now three-month pregnant — was allegedly gang-raped by four men, including a private builder, over a period of six months in South-east Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area.
The incident in the crowded area has left residents terrorised who lamented that police are not doing enough to address the deteriorating law and order situation in the locality as the number of crimes, like gang war, robbery, firing and murder has increased in the last few months.
Fearing for their lives, residents were not willing to speak with the media on record.
An officer-bearer of the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) on the condition of anonymity told The Pioneer that the victim’s mother had recently complained to the Jamia Nagar police station that her life is in danger. “The woman has been receiving death threats from the rapists to take back the case. However, she had refused to do so. Shockingly, police have not taken any action against the accused till now and they were just sitting on the case.
Had they acted immediately, the incident could have been avoided,” he said.
Concurring with the RWA member, the DCP said the woman had approached the Jamia Nagar police with a complaint that her daughter had been raped in the second week of December.
On December 11, the minor girl told her mother about her ordeal. It was only after the mother allegedly sought help of a local NGO that the local police registered a case.
Police said a case was registered under rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused on December 12.
In her complaint, the minor girl, a Class IX student of a Government school, had alleged that she met one of the accused, a private builder, through a common friend. They both allegedly sexually assaulted her at one of the flats owned by the builder in Shaheen Bagh. Moreover, the builder had filmed the entire act on his mobile phone.
The girl further told police they were blackmailing her to upload the MMS on social media and were repeatedly raping her at different locations in South and South east Delhi for over six months.
Another member of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of the Zakir Nagar area in Jamia Nagar told The Pioneer on the condition of anonymity that four boys who had come to the minor girl’s house on Friday morning, were putting pressure on the girl’s mother to withdraw the case.
A senior police officer, privy to the investigation, said, “It is further clarified that the suspects in Friday morning’s firing incident may or may not be linked to the rape case. Police are investigating the firing incident from all angles.”
Romil Baaniya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-east) said, “A case has been registered under section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder) at the Jamia Nagar police station. Further investigation is on.”