Ahmedabad, June 14: Various organisation of students, parents and social activists have jointly given a call for a “Surat bandh” on Monday to protest the gang-rape of a minor girl by three youths on Friday.
The incident involving sons of policemen has caused so much anger that the accused were beaten up by an angry group when they were brought for medical examination at the civil hospital on Saturday.
A large number of people, including women, gathered in the hospital compound on Saturday morning as soon as the news spread that the accused had been brought there. Despite being heavily guarded by police escorts, the mob managed to grab the accused and beat them up. The police escorting the accused brandished a revolver and resorted to a lathi charge.
People shouted slogans and expressed fears that the police would not take the case to its logical end because two of the accused were sons of police personnel.
A large number of people went to the city police commissioner Deepak Swaroop to demand stern action against the rape accused. As they were prevented from entering the office, women protesters sat on the road and blocked traffic. The impromptu “raasta roko” agitation was withdrawn after a lot of persuasion by the police.
The Congress and the BJP have condemned the incident. The BJP’s newly-elected member in the Lok Sabha from Surat, Darshanaben Jardosh, came out on the streets in support of the protesters.
According to the police, the rape of the 17-year old girl was captured on a mobile camera. One of the accused, Abu Bakr, owned a mobile shop where he allegedly sold pornographic clippings.
Police said a phone call by one of the accused to warn the girl against reporting the crime led to the arrests. A complaint had been lodged by the girl’s family in the morning itself. When Abu Bakr called the girl on her mobile phone in the afternoon, the police found his location with the help of the service provider and apprehended him. Through him, Saeed Sayed and Tariq Sayed, both sons of policemen, were arrested.
–Agencies