Gujarat police failed to register a complaint of rape and reduced crime to 'eve teasing.' On June 10, a Dalit girsl from Bural Village in Banaskantha district was allegedly raped by Gajubha Darbar whilre returning from a farm after releaving herself. Eleven days later, the Gujarat police has failed to register a complaint of rape.
Jignesh Mevani, convenor, Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, and Chirag Patel and Reshma Patel of PAAS have warned of a stir on June 26 if the government does not direct the Deesa Rural police to lodge a rape case by June 25 in a case of a Dalit girl of Bural village in Banaskantha district.
“If PI DD Gohil, PSO Galbabhai and Women Police Constable (WPC) Sharmishtha of the Deesa rural police station are not suspended and an atrocity case lodged against them, we will stage a blockade on the bridge over river Banas on June 26,” Mevani said while talking to mediapersons in Ahmedabad on June 20 in the presence of the 18-year-old victim.
Mevani said, “She was raped by Gajubha Darbar while returning from a farm after relieving herself on June 10. Though 10 days have passed since the incident, Deesa rural police are yet to lodge a rape complaint. They have lodged an eve-teasing complaint. Though the victim's family requested for a medical examination the same day, she wasn't sent for the same.” He said,
“The PSO kept them waiting by saying PI DD Gohil was not at the police station. When the kin approached advocate Madhabhai, they were told to meet Gohil at Dhanera crossroads, 24km from the village. Upon reaching there, Gohil asked them to present a caste certificate and SLC to lodge a complaint.” Mevani added, “Even WPC Sharmishtha slapped the victim twice and asked her to sign on the FIR that they will write. Finally, they lodged an eve-teasing case under Section-354 of the IPC instead of Section-376 (rape).”