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Caste Gender

The Real Story Behind the Rape and Killing of Dalit Girl Student, Delta Meghwal

03 Apr 2016

 No Justice for Delta Meghwal, a 17 year old Dalit girl raped and killed in BJP-ruled Rajasthan


 ​

Delta was a 17 years old Dalit girl from a village near the Pakistan border in Barmer district of Rajasthan. She was persuading her BSTC (a course afert 10+2, to become a school teacher) from Jain Adarsh teacher training institute for girls in Nokha, Bikaner (Rajasthan).

She was a brilliant student and an amazing painter, having topped in an Art competition in whole of Rajasthan when she was in Stad XI. One of her artworks was featured in an art magazine published by Rajasthan secretariat in 2006, when she was just 7 years old.


On the morning of March 29, her dead body was found in the water tank of her hostel under suspicious conditions. Police took her body in a municipal garbage carrying vehicle (tractor) without videographing it. According to institution, she committed suicide because they caught her in PT teacher Vijendra Kumar’s room, and they had warned both and asked them to write an apology.
 
-- Now the question is, why did the Institution not inform her parents?
 
-- Why did the Institute not sack the PT teacher and file a complaint against him as she was a minor?
 

 The Real Story

 Four days ago, on March 29, 2016  the dead body of Delta Meghwal, a 17 year old Dalit girl from a village in Barmer district of Rajasthan was found in the water tank of the Jain Adarsh Teacher Training Institute for girls in Nokha, Bikaner where she was studying. The police took her body in a municipal garbage carrying vehicle (tractor) without videographing it.

According to the FIR filed by her parents, there were only four girls at the hostel as all the other girls had gone home and had not returned by then. A day before, on the evening of March 28, at 8 pm, she had called her father and told him that their Warden Priya Shukla had sent her to the PT Instructor Vijendra Singh's room, with the excuse of cleaning the hostel (this shows the clear collusion of the warden in the case).

There, Delta was allegedly raped by Vijendra Kumar Singh, the PT teacher.

The Institute , in an attempt to cover up the incident, obtained a written apology from both her and the PT Instructor with a statement that the brute sexual assault of rape was ‘with mutual consent.’ The usual strategy of victim blaming was used in the most brutal manner against a 17 yr old girl. mainstream English newspapers have not yet covered the issue. It did not inspire national debates on the safety of girl students in hostels or caste based sexual violence. This news report in Hindi gives a chilling perspective on the rape and killing if true.




Several glaring questions remain unanswered:

Why did the college administration not take action and file a police case against Vijendra Kumar Singh, since the girl is legally a minor?
Why were the parents not informed?
Why did the college force a letter that the abuse was a consensual relationship?
Why did the police use a garbage tractor to take the body?
Why was due process not followed?
Why was a minor Dalit girl sent to the room of a male PT teacher and forced to clean the hostel in the first place?


In the light of these atrocities against young Delta Meghwal, Campaign Groups have demanded -

​​JUSTICE FOE DELTA

1. Criminal action to be taken against the principal of the college, Eashwar Chand Vaid and warden Priya Shukla who are complicit in the rape and murder of Delta and subsequent covering up of the case.
2. Criminal action be taken against Vijendra Singh for rape and murder of Delta Meghwal.
3. Police officers who removed the body with a garbage tractor without videographing it to be suspended from service immediately and atrocities case to be registered against them
4. A Prevention of Atrocities (SC/ST) to be filed against the college administration, principal Eashwar Chand Vaid, warden Priya Shukla,  PT master Vijendra Singh ( in addition to other criminal cases of rape, murder and criminal conspiracy)
5. An independent, high level enquiry to be done into the case and the legal proceedings to happen through fast track court to ensure speedy justice.
6.  Although we realise that no compensation given will bring any semblance of justice, we also demand  compensation of 50 lakhs to be given to the family of Delta Meghwal.
7. The government to withdraw recognition to Nokha Jain College and students completing their studies must be transferred to another college.
8. The name of the school in Trimohi village in which she studied , must be changed to the Delta Meghwa Trimohi
9. At the state level for Dalit girls,  Delta Meghwal State Scholarship should be introduced.

There are also appeals to the mainstream media to cover this issue and the protests for justice for Delta Meghwal and end their silence on caste based sexual violence.

A protest was organised on April 2, in front of Town Hall, Bangalore at 5 pm, to demand Justice For Delta Meghwal. People’s Union for Civil :Liberties (PUCL) rajasthan also organised a protest on April 2, 2016 and issued the following press release:


डेल्टा मेघवाल के हत्यारों को गिरफ्तार करो 

नोखा के जैन कॉलेज के प्रबंधन को संरक्षण देना बंद करो 

 
आज 40 से अधिक सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता विनोबा ज्ञान मंदिर में मिले।  जिसमे  डॉ. पवन सुराणा  डॉ. लाड कुमारी जैन, रेणुका पामेचा, राधा कांत सक्सेना, सवाई सिंह , तारा चाँद, हरकेश बुगालिया, सुमित्रा चोपड़ा, निशा सिद्धू , शामिल थे।  नोखा के जैन कॉलेज में BS TC  की छात्र डेल्टा मेघवाल के साथ बलात्कार व हत्या 29 मार्च को हुई. PTI विजेंद्र चौधरी के द्वारा  बलत्कार करने के अलावा हॉस्टल वार्डन प्रिया की भूमिकर बलात्कार की साजिश में   व प्रबंधन सचिव ईश्वर बैद के साथ बलात्कार को ढकने में और छात्रा की हत्या में पूरा हाथ है. 
 
डेल्टा मेघवाल की निर्मम हत्या को लेकर सभी में रोश था. इस मसले को कड़ी शब्दों में निदा की गयी. सभी का मानना था की यह बहुत गम्भीर मसला था क्योंकि अगर जैन कॉलेज वाले चाहते तो छात्रा की जान बचाई जा सकती थी।  आखिर 28 मार्च की शाम को जब उन्होंने डेल्टा से  लिखवाया की उसने गलती की है, जो [प्रक्रिया ही  गैर कानूनी थी ), उसके बजाय कॉलेज प्रबंधन को  पुलिस को सूचित करना चाहिए था की PTI ने एक छात्रा से बलात्कार किया है और उसको उसी वक्त गिरफ्तार करवाना था। यह सुचना नहीं देना ही अपने में POCSO कानून  की धारा  21 का उल्लंघन है जो लगायी जनि चाहिए।
 
क्योंकि अभी तक  सिर्फ PTI गिरफतार हुआ है। जब तक सभी गिरफ्तार नहीं होते तब तक आंदोलन जारी रखना होगा। उसी के तहत इसकी शुरूआत आज आंबेडकर सर्किल से शुरू करनी चाहिए।  तय हुआ शाम 5. ३० बजे सर्किल पर इकट्ठा होकर प्रदर्शन करना चाहिए। 
 
यह भी तय हुआ की 
पुलिस जांच नोखा से बाहर आनी चाहिए। मांग तो CBI की करते रहेंगे, पर राजस्थान सरकार का हमेशा रुख रहा है नहीं देने,  इसलिए जब तक CBI में नहीं जाती, IG के नीचे बीकानेर में ही जांच हो. CID - C.B में  जांच देना तो ठंडे बस्ते में जाएगी। 
इस  मामले में तुरंत गृह मंत्री से मिलना चाहिए और मुख्य मंत्री से समय मांगना चाहिए।  HM कल मिलेंगें। 
50 लाख का मुआवज़ा दिया जाए। 
डेल्टा मेघवाल के गांव  त्रिमोही के स्कूल को उसके नाम में बदला जाए। 
डेल्टा मेघवाल के नाम पर राज्य स्तरीय दलित लड़कियों के लिए  एक स्कालरशिप स्थापित की जाये। यह भी तय किया जाये की :

एक राज्य स्तरीय जांच समिति सभी संगठनों की नोखा 3 अप्रैल की रात या 4 सुबह बीकानेर पहुंचेगी ।  NFIW, AIDWA, AIDMM, PUCL, HRLN के एक, एक, साथी जायेंगे। इसके अलावा  बीकानेर और अजमेर के संगठन भी जुड़ेंगे।  जांच दाल नोखा, बीकानेर के  बाद गडरा रोड भी  जायेगा।  स्थानीय उरमूल के साथियों, एकल  नारी शक्ति संगठन के साथी व अन्य संगठनों के प्रतिनिधि से भी मिलेगा 
तथयांवेशन की टोली को डेल्टा की हत्या और बलातकार की जांच तो करेगा,  इसके अलावा जांच में बरती कोताई पर भी गौर करेगा । साथ ही जैन कॉलेज की अन्य छात्रों से मिलेगा, शिकायत आई है की पहले भी योनिक हिंसा के मामले हुए है,जीने दबा दिया है. अभी लड़कियों पर चुप्पी रखने के लिए दबाव बनाया जा रहा है। 

बाडमेर में स्थित डेल्टा के माता पिता इत्यादि से मिल कर भरोसा दिलवाना चाहिए की वे पीछे नहीं हटें चाहे दबाव कितना भी हो. . 
 
पीपुल्स यूनियन फाॅर सिविल लिबर्टीज, राजस्थान व जयपुर इकाई (पी.यू.सी.एल.),  अखिल भारतीय जनवादी महिला समिति, राजस्थान यूनिवर्सिटी विमेन्स एसोसिएशन (रूवा), नेशनल फैड्रशन इण्डियन विमन (एन.एफ.आई.डब्ल्यू,), महिला पुनर्वास समूह, पनैशनल मुस्लिम वुमेन्स वेलफेयर सोसायटी,राजस्थान महिला कामगार यूनियन, विविधा-महिला आलेखन एवं सन्दर्भ केन्द्र, महिला एवं बाल कल्याण समिति, सामाजिक विधि अध्ययन अकादमी, भारत ज्ञान विज्ञान समिति राजस्थान, सेन्टर फाॅर एडवोकेसी एण्ड रिसर्च जयपुर, आॅल इण्डिया दलित महिला मंच (राजस्थान),  आजाद फाउण्डेशन, सूचना का अधिकार एवं रोजगार अभियान, मजदूर किसान शक्ति संगठन, राजस्थान मजदूर किसान मोर्चा अजमेर, बेटी जिन्दाबाद अभियान, शिक्षा रोजगार केन्द्र व प्रबन्धक समिति (एस.आर.के.पी.एस.), एकल नारी शक्ति संगठन राजस्थान, विशाखा, विकल्प राजस्थान, दलित अधिकार केंद्र, राजस्थान बाल अधिकार संरक्षण साझा अभियान

 

The Real Story Behind the Rape and Killing of Dalit Girl Student, Delta Meghwal

 No Justice for Delta Meghwal, a 17 year old Dalit girl raped and killed in BJP-ruled Rajasthan


 ​

Delta was a 17 years old Dalit girl from a village near the Pakistan border in Barmer district of Rajasthan. She was persuading her BSTC (a course afert 10+2, to become a school teacher) from Jain Adarsh teacher training institute for girls in Nokha, Bikaner (Rajasthan).

She was a brilliant student and an amazing painter, having topped in an Art competition in whole of Rajasthan when she was in Stad XI. One of her artworks was featured in an art magazine published by Rajasthan secretariat in 2006, when she was just 7 years old.


On the morning of March 29, her dead body was found in the water tank of her hostel under suspicious conditions. Police took her body in a municipal garbage carrying vehicle (tractor) without videographing it. According to institution, she committed suicide because they caught her in PT teacher Vijendra Kumar’s room, and they had warned both and asked them to write an apology.
 
-- Now the question is, why did the Institution not inform her parents?
 
-- Why did the Institute not sack the PT teacher and file a complaint against him as she was a minor?
 

 The Real Story

 Four days ago, on March 29, 2016  the dead body of Delta Meghwal, a 17 year old Dalit girl from a village in Barmer district of Rajasthan was found in the water tank of the Jain Adarsh Teacher Training Institute for girls in Nokha, Bikaner where she was studying. The police took her body in a municipal garbage carrying vehicle (tractor) without videographing it.

According to the FIR filed by her parents, there were only four girls at the hostel as all the other girls had gone home and had not returned by then. A day before, on the evening of March 28, at 8 pm, she had called her father and told him that their Warden Priya Shukla had sent her to the PT Instructor Vijendra Singh's room, with the excuse of cleaning the hostel (this shows the clear collusion of the warden in the case).

There, Delta was allegedly raped by Vijendra Kumar Singh, the PT teacher.

The Institute , in an attempt to cover up the incident, obtained a written apology from both her and the PT Instructor with a statement that the brute sexual assault of rape was ‘with mutual consent.’ The usual strategy of victim blaming was used in the most brutal manner against a 17 yr old girl. mainstream English newspapers have not yet covered the issue. It did not inspire national debates on the safety of girl students in hostels or caste based sexual violence. This news report in Hindi gives a chilling perspective on the rape and killing if true.




Several glaring questions remain unanswered:

Why did the college administration not take action and file a police case against Vijendra Kumar Singh, since the girl is legally a minor?
Why were the parents not informed?
Why did the college force a letter that the abuse was a consensual relationship?
Why did the police use a garbage tractor to take the body?
Why was due process not followed?
Why was a minor Dalit girl sent to the room of a male PT teacher and forced to clean the hostel in the first place?


In the light of these atrocities against young Delta Meghwal, Campaign Groups have demanded -

​​JUSTICE FOE DELTA

1. Criminal action to be taken against the principal of the college, Eashwar Chand Vaid and warden Priya Shukla who are complicit in the rape and murder of Delta and subsequent covering up of the case.
2. Criminal action be taken against Vijendra Singh for rape and murder of Delta Meghwal.
3. Police officers who removed the body with a garbage tractor without videographing it to be suspended from service immediately and atrocities case to be registered against them
4. A Prevention of Atrocities (SC/ST) to be filed against the college administration, principal Eashwar Chand Vaid, warden Priya Shukla,  PT master Vijendra Singh ( in addition to other criminal cases of rape, murder and criminal conspiracy)
5. An independent, high level enquiry to be done into the case and the legal proceedings to happen through fast track court to ensure speedy justice.
6.  Although we realise that no compensation given will bring any semblance of justice, we also demand  compensation of 50 lakhs to be given to the family of Delta Meghwal.
7. The government to withdraw recognition to Nokha Jain College and students completing their studies must be transferred to another college.
8. The name of the school in Trimohi village in which she studied , must be changed to the Delta Meghwa Trimohi
9. At the state level for Dalit girls,  Delta Meghwal State Scholarship should be introduced.

There are also appeals to the mainstream media to cover this issue and the protests for justice for Delta Meghwal and end their silence on caste based sexual violence.

A protest was organised on April 2, in front of Town Hall, Bangalore at 5 pm, to demand Justice For Delta Meghwal. People’s Union for Civil :Liberties (PUCL) rajasthan also organised a protest on April 2, 2016 and issued the following press release:


डेल्टा मेघवाल के हत्यारों को गिरफ्तार करो 

नोखा के जैन कॉलेज के प्रबंधन को संरक्षण देना बंद करो 

 
आज 40 से अधिक सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता विनोबा ज्ञान मंदिर में मिले।  जिसमे  डॉ. पवन सुराणा  डॉ. लाड कुमारी जैन, रेणुका पामेचा, राधा कांत सक्सेना, सवाई सिंह , तारा चाँद, हरकेश बुगालिया, सुमित्रा चोपड़ा, निशा सिद्धू , शामिल थे।  नोखा के जैन कॉलेज में BS TC  की छात्र डेल्टा मेघवाल के साथ बलात्कार व हत्या 29 मार्च को हुई. PTI विजेंद्र चौधरी के द्वारा  बलत्कार करने के अलावा हॉस्टल वार्डन प्रिया की भूमिकर बलात्कार की साजिश में   व प्रबंधन सचिव ईश्वर बैद के साथ बलात्कार को ढकने में और छात्रा की हत्या में पूरा हाथ है. 
 
डेल्टा मेघवाल की निर्मम हत्या को लेकर सभी में रोश था. इस मसले को कड़ी शब्दों में निदा की गयी. सभी का मानना था की यह बहुत गम्भीर मसला था क्योंकि अगर जैन कॉलेज वाले चाहते तो छात्रा की जान बचाई जा सकती थी।  आखिर 28 मार्च की शाम को जब उन्होंने डेल्टा से  लिखवाया की उसने गलती की है, जो [प्रक्रिया ही  गैर कानूनी थी ), उसके बजाय कॉलेज प्रबंधन को  पुलिस को सूचित करना चाहिए था की PTI ने एक छात्रा से बलात्कार किया है और उसको उसी वक्त गिरफ्तार करवाना था। यह सुचना नहीं देना ही अपने में POCSO कानून  की धारा  21 का उल्लंघन है जो लगायी जनि चाहिए।
 
क्योंकि अभी तक  सिर्फ PTI गिरफतार हुआ है। जब तक सभी गिरफ्तार नहीं होते तब तक आंदोलन जारी रखना होगा। उसी के तहत इसकी शुरूआत आज आंबेडकर सर्किल से शुरू करनी चाहिए।  तय हुआ शाम 5. ३० बजे सर्किल पर इकट्ठा होकर प्रदर्शन करना चाहिए। 
 
यह भी तय हुआ की 
पुलिस जांच नोखा से बाहर आनी चाहिए। मांग तो CBI की करते रहेंगे, पर राजस्थान सरकार का हमेशा रुख रहा है नहीं देने,  इसलिए जब तक CBI में नहीं जाती, IG के नीचे बीकानेर में ही जांच हो. CID - C.B में  जांच देना तो ठंडे बस्ते में जाएगी। 
इस  मामले में तुरंत गृह मंत्री से मिलना चाहिए और मुख्य मंत्री से समय मांगना चाहिए।  HM कल मिलेंगें। 
50 लाख का मुआवज़ा दिया जाए। 
डेल्टा मेघवाल के गांव  त्रिमोही के स्कूल को उसके नाम में बदला जाए। 
डेल्टा मेघवाल के नाम पर राज्य स्तरीय दलित लड़कियों के लिए  एक स्कालरशिप स्थापित की जाये। यह भी तय किया जाये की :

एक राज्य स्तरीय जांच समिति सभी संगठनों की नोखा 3 अप्रैल की रात या 4 सुबह बीकानेर पहुंचेगी ।  NFIW, AIDWA, AIDMM, PUCL, HRLN के एक, एक, साथी जायेंगे। इसके अलावा  बीकानेर और अजमेर के संगठन भी जुड़ेंगे।  जांच दाल नोखा, बीकानेर के  बाद गडरा रोड भी  जायेगा।  स्थानीय उरमूल के साथियों, एकल  नारी शक्ति संगठन के साथी व अन्य संगठनों के प्रतिनिधि से भी मिलेगा 
तथयांवेशन की टोली को डेल्टा की हत्या और बलातकार की जांच तो करेगा,  इसके अलावा जांच में बरती कोताई पर भी गौर करेगा । साथ ही जैन कॉलेज की अन्य छात्रों से मिलेगा, शिकायत आई है की पहले भी योनिक हिंसा के मामले हुए है,जीने दबा दिया है. अभी लड़कियों पर चुप्पी रखने के लिए दबाव बनाया जा रहा है। 

बाडमेर में स्थित डेल्टा के माता पिता इत्यादि से मिल कर भरोसा दिलवाना चाहिए की वे पीछे नहीं हटें चाहे दबाव कितना भी हो. . 
 
पीपुल्स यूनियन फाॅर सिविल लिबर्टीज, राजस्थान व जयपुर इकाई (पी.यू.सी.एल.),  अखिल भारतीय जनवादी महिला समिति, राजस्थान यूनिवर्सिटी विमेन्स एसोसिएशन (रूवा), नेशनल फैड्रशन इण्डियन विमन (एन.एफ.आई.डब्ल्यू,), महिला पुनर्वास समूह, पनैशनल मुस्लिम वुमेन्स वेलफेयर सोसायटी,राजस्थान महिला कामगार यूनियन, विविधा-महिला आलेखन एवं सन्दर्भ केन्द्र, महिला एवं बाल कल्याण समिति, सामाजिक विधि अध्ययन अकादमी, भारत ज्ञान विज्ञान समिति राजस्थान, सेन्टर फाॅर एडवोकेसी एण्ड रिसर्च जयपुर, आॅल इण्डिया दलित महिला मंच (राजस्थान),  आजाद फाउण्डेशन, सूचना का अधिकार एवं रोजगार अभियान, मजदूर किसान शक्ति संगठन, राजस्थान मजदूर किसान मोर्चा अजमेर, बेटी जिन्दाबाद अभियान, शिक्षा रोजगार केन्द्र व प्रबन्धक समिति (एस.आर.के.पी.एस.), एकल नारी शक्ति संगठन राजस्थान, विशाखा, विकल्प राजस्थान, दलित अधिकार केंद्र, राजस्थान बाल अधिकार संरक्षण साझा अभियान

 

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