Jaipur: Rape of seven-year-old sparks protests, vehicles torched, Internet suspended
In an inhuman act, a seven-year-old was raped in Jaipur on Monday. Outraged over the incident, locals went on a rampage demanding action against the accused. The protests turned violent on Tuesday after they torched as many as 160 vehicles. To curb the unrest, Internet services were suspended for a few hours, and some people were taken into "preventive arrest". Here's what went down.
When girl was playing, accused abducted her
The child was playing outside her home in Shastri Nagar when a man, riding a bike, approached her. After abducting the child around 7:30 PM, the accused raped her. Her father said she was dumped at Pani Ki Tanki area. "The brave girl walked on her own back home by covering at least half-a-kilometer distance," her inconsolable father told TOI.
My daughter was brutally assaulted: Father
"From her appearance, it looked that she was tortured brutally at a place full of sand. She told us that the unidentified man wearing a helmet and riding a bike threatened to kill her if she did not go with him," her father added.
Protesters pelted stones, 16 people have been arrested
Initially, the family took her to Kavantiya Hospital, from where the victim was referred to JK Lone Hospital. She is undergoing treatment and is said to be stable. On learning about the horrendous crime, locals gathered at the hospital and staged protests. When police arrived to disperse the crowd, the protesters pelted stones. Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Srivastava said 16 people were arrested.
Those who are spreading rumors won't be spared: Srivastava
"People spreading rumors on social media will be dealt with very strictly. The child is undergoing treatment and her condition is stable. We have formed 14 police teams to catch the culprit," Srivastava added.
Separately, residents who faced brunt of protests, demanded action
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, angry residents, whose vehicles were torched, gheraoed the police station and demanded action against protesters. They were accompanied by BJP's Jaipur district president Mohan Lal Gupta. While Srivastava said 30 vehicles were alighted, locals said the number was much higher. Meanwhile, DCP North Manoj Kumar said additional policemen have been deployed to maintain law and order in the area.
Few days ago, another minor was raped, emboldening locals' anger
Apparently, locals are angry since the latest rape case isn't a standalone incident. Just 10 days ago, a four-year-old was abducted and raped in a similar fashion. The accused was never traced, and some believe he is the same man who raped the seven-year-old. Notably, the Congress-led state government gave a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the survivor's family.
