Last year, five people allegedly set ablaze a gang-rape survivor in an area the comes under the Bihar Police Station of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Now, the six-year-old nephew of the same girl is reported to have been abducted.
In the previous case, the victim's family alleged that the woman who was reported to have been raped was going to Rae Bareli in connection with her case, when she was set on fire 1 km from the village. Following this incident, the victim was admitted to the hospital, but she died.
On the matter related to the child, Bihar police station in-charge SK Singh told The Quint that the family of the child has named five suspects, who are relatives of the accused in the previous case.
The accused in the previous case are currently in jail and their trial has started.
When the police station in-charge was asked questions about the action being taken, he said that no clue has been found so far in the case of the missing child.
What Does the Victim’s Family Say?
The sister of the girl who was allegedly set ablaze last year told The Quint: “On 2 October, we had gone to the farm. The child was at home. When we returned home, the child was not found there. After this we started looking for him, we also went to the police station. We filed the application there. The child has not been detected yet. Haven't even got a clue.''
She also had complains with the administration.
“The administration is not allowing us to meet anyone. We want to go to the Chief Minister’s residence in Lucknow, ask for help. But the administration has said that there is no use to go there, we are investigating, do not get out of the house.”
Anand Kurkani, Unnao Superintendent of Police (SP), said:
“A case of child abduction has been registered and we are investigating it.”
Similarities With the Hathras Case
In the Hathras case, too, the police were accused of imprisoning the victim's family in their home. No one was permitted to meet anyone. Later, there was an uproar when the leaders and media were not allowed to meet the victim family of Hathras. Even in the Unnao case, the victim's family says that they are not being allowed to meet anyone.
The victim's family said, "The same thing happened to us earlier. We were told that we would be given jobs, housing, but that did not happen.”
In this case, three constables have been suspended for "negligence" in the protecting the family.
(This piece was originally published in Hindi Quint, and has been translated. Read the original story here.)
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