MEERUT: A 21-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly raped by an upper caste man in August 2023 was later forced to “settle” the matter at a panchayat and paid Rs 2.5 lakh to remain silent.
But that was not the end of her ordeal. Just as her family moved to another place to flee the harassment and social barbs, and quietly arranged her marriage in a place far away, the accused got wind of it and sent a video of the sexual assault to her fiance, following which the wedding was called off.
What came after that was worse. The accused’s family demanded the money back. It was then that the survivor’s father, unable to tolerate the pressure and threats any longer, met Hapur SP Kunwar Gyananjay Singh. An FIR was lodged on Thursday, almost two years after the crime.
The woman’s father said: “After my daughter was violated, a panchayat was called where we were forced to settle the matter for Rs 2.5 lakh. We left the village for another place and I arranged my child’s marriage to a man recently, but the accused sent an obscene video to her fiance. Her marriage was called off. What are we to do now?”
The survivor’s mother said she, too, was recently assaulted and disrobed by the family of the accused. “They came to us demanding the money back and started misbehaving with us. When my wife opposed them, she was assaulted. The accused tore her clothes,” the girl’s father told police.
“The initial incident was not reported to me. Now, a written complaint has been received, following which an FIR under IPC sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force) and 506 (criminal intimidation) has been registered against five men,” said Hafizpur SHO Ashish Kumar.
“Teams have been formed to probe the matter, and arrests will be made,” the SHO added.