Activist Yogendra Yadav, currently linked to peasant agitation, on Monday denied reports that Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders were aware of the sexual assault on a protester at the Tikri border protest location.
A 26-year-old woman from West Bengal was allegedly raped by two men on the way to Delhi and after reaching the Tikri border. She later died of Covid-19 on April 30th in a private hospital in Delhi.
At a press conference on Monday, Yogendra Yadav said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the group leading farmers’ agitation against recent agricultural laws, was unaware of the attack.
“However, since there are reports that two or three leaders knew about this, we are investigating the matter,” he said.
The victim’s father, who was also present via videoconference during the press conference, said his daughter told him about the sexual assault when he met her at the hospital, where she was admitted four days before her death.
“My daughter was very keen to join the farmers’ protest. But when she got sick with Covid-19 infection, I met her. Had I known she was being attacked, I would have come much earlier,” said he.
The father said that his daughter said his daughter’s last words were ‘humko insaaf chahiye’ (I want justice). However, she was also concerned about the protest.
“She told me explicitly that the incident with her must not affect the image of the peasant protest. She said: “Kisan humara nan data hai, inn logon ki ladayi my koi asar na pade isko bhi yaad my rakhiyega [Make sure there is no impact on the farmers’ protest]”” the woman’s father told the media.
When asked what was being done to ensure the safety of protesters at the Tikri border town, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) President Joginder Singh Ugrahan said that extensive measures had been taken to ensure that no nasty incident took place . “We have taken various measures to ensure the safety of women. There are special tents and we also patrol at night to ensure their safety,” said Joginder Singh Ugrahan.
During the press conference, Yogendra Yadav declined to register a trial against four people, apart from the two main culprits in the incident.
Yadav said the victim’s father had already told police that he hadn’t filed a lawsuit against these four. “We want the police to conduct an impartial investigation, but how ill do they build a case when they name the witnesses as the defendants?” Said Yadav.
Based on the complaint filed by the woman’s father, the police in Haryanas Bahadurgarh registered a case against two men – Anoop and Anil Malik. Later, during the investigation, police reportedly added four other defendants.
In the meantime, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has shunned the Kisan Social Army led by Anoop and Anil Malik and removed the tents and banners associated with the organization from the protest site.
Also read | Bengal activist raped on way to protest farmers in Tikri; later dies due to Covid
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