Skip to main content

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 A 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.

Comments

TRENDING

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat*  As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Dowry over duty: How material greed shattered a seven-year bond

By Archana Kumar*  This account does not seek to expose names or tarnish identities. Its purpose is not to cast blame, but to articulate—with dignity—the silent suffering of a woman who lived her life anchored in love, trust, and duty, only to be ultimately abandoned.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’