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

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

What's behind Donald Trump's 'narco-state' accusation against Venezuela

By Manolo De Los Santos  The US government has revived its campaign to label Venezuela a "narco-state", accusing its top leadership of drug trafficking and slapping hefty bounties on their heads for capture. This campaign, which only momentarily took a backseat, is a strategic fabrication, not a factual assessment. This accusation, particularly amplified under the Trump Administration, is a calculated smokescreen to justify a long-standing agenda: the overthrow of the Venezuelan government and the seizure of its vast oil and mineral resources. A closer examination of the facts reveals a country that has actively fought drug trafficking on its own terms and a US government with a clear and consistent history of destabilizing independent countries in Latin America.

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...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857  By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman*  Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Fate of Yamuna floodplain still hangs in "balance" despite National Green Tribunal rap on Sri Sri event

By Ashok Shrimali* While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reportedly pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for granting permission to hold spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna, the chief petitioners against the high-profile event Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has declared, the “fate of the floodplain still hangs in balance.”