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472 rape cases in Gujarat, Kutch registered 117 in 6 months, BJP responsible for Naliya sex racket: Online petition

Aam Admi Party protest against Naliya sex scandal
By Our Representative
A civil society-sponsored online petition has claimed that the Naliya sex racket, rocking Gujarat for about a fortnight now, is just a “tip of the iceberg”, insisting, “For last so many years sexual crime in Gujarat is increasing day by day” and “rape has become the epidemic in Gujarat.”
Giving the examples for the alleged “rape epidemic” in Gujarat, the petition says, these include the “Patan gangrape case, Asaram sex crimes, Parul University sex crime etc.”, claiming, “In all these cases there is a common factor which is a matter of grave concern that the criminals always got the patronage of the ruling BJP.”
“They could be punished or in jails because of public protests. But there have always being attempts by the vested forces supporting each and every actions of the ruling party to release a dirtiest campaign against the victims”, alleges the petition.
Among those who have sought signature on the petition include Manjula Pradeep, prominent Dalit women’s rights activist from Gujarat. Floated by the Forum of Concerned Citizens, formed following a citizens’ meeting on February 16 in Ahmedabad, its team members consist of Dineshbhai Sanghvi, Meenakshi Joshi, Balendra Vaghela, Dr Jharna Pathak, and advocate Shabana Mansuri.
Stating that there were 472 cases of rape in Gujarat, out of which Kutch district alone registered 117 in the last six months, the petition believes that “Naliya-like sex rackets are operating throughout Gujarat, taking advantages of the poverty of women and their unemployment.”
Seeking “strict administrative measures to expose the whole racket”, the petition, which has been addressed to the President of India, says, the Naliya rape case shows the “saga of an unemployed young girl, seeking for the job, falls into the most monstrous sex racket operated by the people belonging to the ruling BJP enjoying the impunity in Kutch district.”
Manjula Pradeep
“The victim is knocking the door for justice but doubt persists whether there will be at all impartial enquiry of the existing sex racket as very powerful, influential leaders, even elected representatives and leaders of the BJP are involved”, contends the petition, adding, the enquiry into the sex racket “is moving sluggishly and direct-indirect measures are taken to vitiate the atmosphere against the victim.”
Based on the fact-finding committee’s report, the petition says, the victim, a 19 year old married woman from Mumbai came to her parental home in Kothara (Naliya taluka, western Kutch) after a dispute with husband, followed by divorce.
Quoting from the FIR, it says, “She was in dire necessity of a job and approached the local man of Naliya, who happened to be a mobile shop owner who took him to a gas agency owner in Naliya. The gas agent assured her a job with a salary of Rs 5500. During Diwali, the woman asked for half of the salary as advance. The gas agent asked her to come to her residence to collect the money.”
“Believing him, she went to his house, he gave her Rs.3500 and the agent requested her to take sarbat, which was intoxicated”, the petition says, adding, “After she fell unconscious she was gang raped by three men and photographed and video-graphed. This was the end of her freedom and thus she was compelled to become a sex slave.”
The petition says, “She was handed to different persons and taken to different places, hotels, farm houses and fell prey to ten persons, who mostly belonged to ruling party, BJP.”
Pointing out that the woman, on verge of suicide, was saved by her husband, whom she remarried, the petition says, encouraged by her husband to register a complaint against culprits, she reached Naliya to file FIR against the culprits.
She handed over the application on January 12, the application was marked as received on January 18, and the police took 13 days to consider as a FIR and took on record on January 25 as a gang rape, all of which, says the petition, suggests that police gave the culprits “enough time to culprits to save their skin.”
“In her complaint she alleged that she has been the victim of multiple gang rapes by ten males”, the petition names a BJP activist who offered her Rs 1 crore to withdraw the FIR, adding, “At least 35 women are trapped in this sex racket and 65 persons are involved.”
Pointing out that a BJP-run educational workshop is involved in the racket, the petition says, due to public pressure, the government was compelled to form SIT and arrest some of the accused, yet, the fact is, BJP MP from Kutch Vinod Chavda told the media recently that “he had the information of this case for three months”, wondering why he did not act.

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