The daylight murder outside a Gorakhpur court on Friday, 21 January, was seen as a case of a man looking for revenge against his minor daughter's alleged rapist. While the deceased was identified as one Dilshad Hussain, a resident of Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, the attacker was said to be the father of the alleged rape victim, and a former Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.
However, details emerging in the case now tell us a different story. As per new revelations, Hussain was married to the attacker’s daughter and had also converted to Hinduism. The girl's family had earlier filed a rape case against Hussain, but after the girl's statement, the court had granted bail to the 25-year-old man.
The Marriage Took Place in Hyderabad, the Girl’s Family Alleges Rape
According to documents accessed by The Quint, the deceased had married the girl on 13 February 2020 at an Arya Samaj temple in Hyderabad.
However, the girl’s father had claimed that his daughter was kidnapped by Hussain on 12 February 2020 and had filed a complaint under section 363 (kidnapping) and 366 (kidnapping a woman to compel for marriage) on 17 February. Later, sections of rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, (POCSO Act) were added during investigation.
On 12 March 2021, Hussain was arrested in Hyderabad and the girl was also supposedly rescued.
Hussain had come to Arya Samaj and had changed his name to Dilraj after conversion.
Adult or Minor: Questions Raised About the Girl’s Age
Meanwhile, there have been varying claims regarding the girl’s age. According to her Class 10 marksheet and the First Information Report (FIR) copy, the girl’s date of birth is 21 December 2002.
However, Telangana’s health and age certificate and the girl’s marriage certificate from Arya Samaj show her date of birth as 5 December 1998.
As per Hussain’s lawyer, there was an enmity between Hussain and the girl's father over the court case.
Hussain Got Bail From the High Court After the Girl’s Statement
According to the bail petition, the alleged victim recorded a statement under section 164 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) stating that her date of birth is 5 December 1998.
She had further said that she was in love with Hussain and had married him on 13 February 2020 with her consent and wanted to live with him. In light of the petition, the high court had granted bail to Hussain.
What Happened in Court That Day?
According to Hussain’s lawyer, he was not allowed inside the court due to COVID-19 protocol, after which he called the lawyer for a pass. However, by the time the lawyer could reach, the young man was shot dead with a licensed pistol.
With the help of local people, the police caught the accused and the pistol used in the incident was also recovered. Meanwhile, the girl's father has been arrested for murder.
After the murder, advocates reportedly protested against the incident in the court. Later, Additional Director General of Police Akhil Kumar assured that action will be taken pertaining to the security lapse.
(With inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)