My most recent journalistic investigation left me with a bunch of unanswered questions and a feeling of dread in my stomach. It started with a simple enough assignment: Attending a press conference. At this conference, however, the protagonist of my story failed to turn up, or – as was later discovered – was perhaps not allowed to address the media.
I tried connecting the dots on the ground later, but many who were related to the case deliberately led me astray.
It was as if no one wanted the truth to come out.
This is the story of a 16-year-old Dalit girl, Reena (name changed), who was abducted in August 2018 and tracked down three months later.
Reena’s family alleges that they are being threatened by the accomplices of the prime accused – who belong to the Gujjar community in Haryana.
The survivor was raped, trafficked twice and coerced into marriage during the three-month ordeal that ended after Reena tried to commit suicide by slitting her wrist, thus, bringing her traumatic experience to the attention of the police. It was the latter who finally informed her family.
Reena’s family lives in Haryana’s Faridabad district and belong to the Jatav (Dalit) community.
Family ‘Stopped’ by Goons From Addressing the Media
On 12 February 2019, Reena’s mother along with her uncle (Phupha) were supposed to address the media for the first time at Delhi’s Press Club. We were all set to listen to the mother’s account when suddenly I noticed an unease, a sense of hustle and bustle amongst the organisers – a small group of JNU students.
Jatin Goraya, a student at JNU and one of the organisers of the press conference, told me that it looked unlikely that Reena’s mother would be able to make it to the Press Club.
Goraya further said that a group of 40-50 men were allegedly standing outside the survivor’s home and stopping the family from leaving their place.
A WhatsApp message, circulated by the group of students, stated:
“The family members of the girl were supposed to address the PC today in Delhi Press Club. However, we are alarmed to know that the family members have been stopped at their house and are not allowed to come out. We have come to know that the house is being surrounded by goons who are threatening them not to take the case any further.”WhatsApp message-cum-press release issued by the organisers
Uncle’s Fearful Admission: ‘Receiving Threats’
Reena’s uncle Rajeev (name changed) was, however, able to make it to the Press Club. He owns a travel business and had come all the way from Palwal in Haryana. The survivor was staying with Rajeev’s family ‘for security reasons’.
Speaking to The Quint, Rajeev said that they had “not received any support from the police” right from the point that Reena had gone missing.
“We would go to the police station after every 2-4 days. We did not get any support from the police. They did not try to find her. In the meantime, three months lapsed.”Rajeev* (name changed), Faridabad rape survivor’s uncle
Rajeev also said that there was a delay of 21 days in filing an FIR when the survivor’s parents had approached the police to file a missing person complaint.
“That area is dominated by Gujjars who are influential, so the police was taking the case very lightly. It was only after we pressured them that the police filed the FIR after 20-25 days.”Rajeev* (name changed), Faridabad rape survivor’s uncle
Getting an FIR registered was just one of the many challenges that Reena’s family faced. As investigation proceeded and a charge sheet was filed, Rajeev alleges that he started receiving threats from unknown persons who would recommend “arriving at a compromise”.
“I had taken her to my home for security reason. They (accused) came to know somehow and started coming to my office, telling me to arrive at a compromise. At first their tone was normal, now they have started threatening us. They say, ‘You should resolve this immediately else it won’t be good for you.’”Rajeev* (name changed), Faridabad rape survivor’s uncle
Raped, Sold Twice & Forced Into Marriage
Reena’s testimony before the Child Welfare Committee reveals a horrifying and painful ordeal comprising physical abuse and mental trauma that continued for 90 days.
On 24 August 2018, Reena had gone to meet Vinay Gurjar, a man known to her and a prime accused in the case. Vinay abducted Reena and brought her to his office in Delhi’s Jasola locality. The survivor was held captive for more than a month at the basement of Vinay’s office in Jasola where she was raped and was beaten up regularly when she resisted.
According to Reena, she heard that Vinay was planning to kill her, at which point his friend Hallan suggested he sell her to him instead, for Rs 40,000.
A month later, she was sold to Jasvir, a resident of Tumasara village in Haryana for Rs 1.5 lakh. Jasvir forced the survivor to marry him and took her to his village where she was raped by her ‘unlawfully wedded’ husband as well as his brother Rahul. Then one day, Reena caught hold of Jasvir’s mother’s mobile phone and dialled 100.
Even as the police came, Jasvir’s mother tried to convince them that it was merely a marital dispute. As the policemen were about to leave, the survivor slit her wrist. The police finally caught on.
Since her father’s number was switched off, it was her uncle in Palwal who was informed by the police first.
A charge sheet was filed in the case under IPC’s sec 363 (punishment for kidnapping), sec 306A (abetment of suicide), sec 370 (trafficking), sec 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), sec 120B (criminal conspiracy), sec 6 of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and SC/ST Act.
Based on the girl’s testimony, the police have arrested only Rahul till date. The remaining accused – Vinay Gurjar, Hallan and Jasvir – are still absconding.
Family Moves to an Undisclosed Location
On 14 February 2019, when The Quint visited Faridabad, this reporter was told by Reena’s relatives that the survivor and her family had left for their village. They said they had no idea about the survivor’s exact whereabouts.
As I asked my question, I began to be conscious of a group of curious neighbours who had begun to surround me. I could see hesitation and embarrassment writ large on the face of Reena’s aunt who was washing clothes under a tap outside their house. I suggested we move the conversation inside – and they readily agreed.
Reena’s father is a mechanic while mother is a homemaker. She has an elder brother who is 19 years old. Reena had dropped out of school after class 7.
Inside Reena’s house, I was led into the drawing room which was lit by a single LED bulb; the sofa, covered with a worn-out bed sheet, was barely visible. The initial bonhomie that I thought we’d struck up was soon, however, followed by sudden coldness.
At the survivor’s house in Faridabad, relatives refused to talk about the case.
(Photo: Akanksha Kumar/ The Quint)
Despite repeated requests, the survivor’s grandmother (dadi) and two aunts (chachis) said that they didn’t want to say anything about the incident and so couldn’t comment. Perched on a plastic stool in front of me, one of her aunts said, “Whatever was to be said has been shared with the police by the survivor herself.” She refused to comment when asked about any sort of pressure by members of the Gujjar community.
The survivor’s grandmother did admit that lately, her son (the father of survivor) had started drinking a lot.
Even the survivor’s uncle, who had given an interview on 12 February, claimed that he wasn’t sure about the location of Reena and her family on that given day.
Local Dalit Activist Suspects a Deal is Underway
A local Ambedkarite – who lives in the same locality as the survivor and had come to support her at the Press Club on 12 February – feels that the family is being pressured for a compromise.
This activist, who belongs to the Jatav community, shared an earlier account when he, along with the other members of his group, had participated in protests against the rape of a Dalit woman in Faridabad five years ago. A month later, they’d received a call from the girl’s father asking if he should accept Rs 2.5 lakh being offered by the accused.
This activist also revealed that on the day of the press conference, two guys (one of whose surname was ‘Deswal’) were accompanying the survivor’s uncle. He said that both men were known to be mediators in such deals.
Are the Accused Being Shielded by a BJP Sarpanch?
In his interview to The Quint, the survivor’s uncle, Rajeev, not only talked about lapses on the part of the police, but also suggested that political influence was hampering the investigation.
Vinay Gurjar, the main accused in the case, is the brother-in-law of the sarpanch of Tigaon village in Faridabad.
According to Reena’s uncle, the sarpanch of Tigaon village, Rinku, had contested the panchayat elections on a BJP ticket.
It was this political connection, coupled with the influence of the Gujjar community in the area, that explained the lackadaisical attitude of the police, claimed Rajeev.
“Whenever those guys come (to threaten), we inform the police only to be told that they are looking into it. We have even told the police the names of those persons who are harassing us. The first guy, Vinay, who had abducted the girl, is the brother-in-law of the sarpanch. He’s a person with political connections.”Rajeev* (name changed), Faridabad rape survivor’s uncle
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader Krishan Pal Gurjar had won from Faridabad with a huge margin. Krishan Pal Gurjar is currently the Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment in the BJP-led government at the Centre.
FIR No. 0452: No One Knows Where the File is
Reena’s family has been raising questions at the way the investigation is being handled by the Haryana Police. Her uncle even claimed that initially, when the family tried to file a complaint, they were sent back by the police who said, “She will come back.”
The family was not given a copy of the FIR and the MLC (Medico Legal Certificate) as is mandated by law. The respective documents were given to the family only after the Punjab & Haryana High Court intervened which is where the matter is being heard.
When The Quint reached the Faridabad Kotwali where the FIR was registered, this reporter was told to approach the Mahila Thana in sector 16. When I reached there, however, I was asked to go to another branch of the Women Police Cell in sector 21A.
Inside an under-construction building in sector 21A, two women police officials were busy making notes and were surrounded by complainants who had come to record their statements.
I asked them the status of FIR no. 0452 – at which, one of them looked at a pile of files for the year 2018 and told me that the case file wasn’t not here. She directed me to approach the Kotwali again.
The Mahila Thana in sector 26 was inaugurated in 2015 by Krishan Pal Gurjar who’s currently the Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment.
(Photo: Akanksha Kumar/ The Quint)
At the Faridabad Kotwali, now for a second time, I was told to check with head constable SC Prakash – who, in turn, informed me that the case had been transferred to the mahila thana in sector 21A and that an SIT had been constituted to probe the matter.
But this mahila thana had claimed they didn’t even have the file! Why was the Haryana Police trying to make us run around in circles?
Has Reena Gone Missing of Her Own Will?
I continue to ask myself one question – is Reena’s family really being threatened or are they being pushed towards accepting a deal by an accused and his accomplices keen to skip due process of the law?
If the survivor and her parents are indeed living in fear, why are they not interacting with the media or approaching another redressal forum for protection? What explains the collective decision of Reena’s relatives to remain silent? After all, Reena grew up in front of them inside that humble house in Faridabad. Why haven’t they risen in anger?
Most importantly, if Reena’s parents are indeed trying to settle the matter outside of the courts and have fled to an undisclosed location, have they taken her consent?
It’s not a coincidence that this reporter was not allowed to meet Reena and her parents. My biggest fear as a journalist has come to the fore here: Is there a concerted effort to brush the crime – the rape of a minor – under the carpet?
I keep wondering – this is a girl who slit her own wrists in order to grab the attention of the police and narrate her trauma. She wanted justice. But is she, today, in a position to exercise her choice, her own will, in the matter?
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