Members of various organisations and residents of a village in Belagavi taluk staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Friday condemning the rape of a minor in the village. They shouted slogans against the rape accused and demanded speedy justice.
Some angry villagers even demanded that the accused be handed over to them and that they would punish them. Others said that they had no patience to wait for court procedures and demanded that the accused be given death sentence by the police themselves.
They said that the Nirbhaya Cell in the district hospital was not active. It is meant to provide focused care to rape victims and counselling to them [victims] and their parents. It also envisages para-legal support to the victims families. Such activities are not being carried out, they said.
They said that Balu Bainaik, the father of the rape accused, Sunil, had tried to destroy evidence by trespassing into the district hospital. He had damaged some documents and taken the victim away from the hospital for three hours. He brought her back after the parents of the victim complained to the police on Thursday night.
The protesters demanded action against Balu Bainaik, who has served as a gram panchayat member in the past. They also demanded action against doctors of the district hospital for what they said negligence.
The protesters also went to the APMC Police Station to demand the release of youths who are facing the charge of assaulting the accused on court premises in Belagavi on Thursday.
Some of them staged a protest in front of the district hospital to condemn the negligence of doctors and sought action against them.
A bandh call given in the village by some organisations was also successful, the police said.
