Bandh in Ratanpur after rape victim’s mother sent to jail
   Date :22-May-2023

Ratanpur witnessed total bandh
 
 
Our Correspondent
 
BILASPUR,
 
RATANPUR witnessed total Bandh on Sunday to mark protest against police for sending the rape victim’s mother to jail. Irked by the suspicious action of police the women of Brahman Samaj, activists of Hindu organizations and others demanded firm action against the accused and SHO Krishnakant Singh and created ruckus gheraoing Ratanpur Police Station. In view of the deteriorating law and order, police sounded alert in Ratanpur and deployed additional force to handle the situation. People of Hindu organization also took out a rally in Ratanpur to protest against registering a counter case against the rape victim's mother. While raising slogans against Police, they also presented glass bangles to the cops and burnt tyres to block the main roads. Considering the worsening situation after uproar in Ratanpur additional force from across the district were deployed to prevent any untoward incident. People demanding a fair investigation into the case also warned of fierce agitation if their demands were not fulfilled. Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Kumar Singh said that police will take action according to the law. “Police have registered a case on the incident that happened with the ten-year-old child.
 
This case has nothing to do with the rape victim,” he said. Advocate Priyanka Shukla said that according to the law instead of taking immediate action, Police should have done a thorough investigation. If the applicant of rape victim is sent to jail on a complaint, then what will happen to the other victims and how the accused came to the Police Station to file a counter report? Advocate Sameer Singh of Chhattisgarh High Court said that, in such conditions no rape victim will approach Police to register complaint against accused. This was a very serious matter and Police should have taken serious note of this issue. On May 19, the relatives of rape accused filed a counter complaint against the victim’s mother in police station. The FIR was registered on the same day and the woman was arrested even before the FIR was lodged. Not only this, the woman was also sent to jail on the same day. The woman was not even given a chance to present her case. SHO Krishnakant Singh said that a ten-year old child came from Raipur to Ratanpur to enjoy summer vacation in uncle’s house.
 
On the fateful day he went to purchase chocolates in neighbourhood shop when the 40-year old widow took him inside and molested his private parts. She also threatened the child not to disclose this to anyone and since then he was in shock. When he returned to Raipur and his mother asked him, he narrated the entire story to her. She then came to Ratanpur along with her son who identified the lady who was mother of the rape victim. The rape victim said that she was threatened and intimidated after registering the case. An attempt was also made to compromise by luring money. But she didn’t agree after which the SHO registered a case against her mother on false allegations. She claimed that Ratanpur Police were hand in gloves with the family of the accused. In view of the seriousness of the allegations in the case of Ratanpur, SP Santosh Kumar Singh has formed a team under the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rahul Dev Sharma for fair investigation in which Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP), Kota Siddharth Baghel and Inspector Parivesh Tiwari have also been included. He ordered the team to submit the investigation report of the events and all the facts of FIR within seven days. He assured that firm action will be taken by the department if anyone is found guilty in the entire episode. An order of affiliation in Police Line has also been issued to Ratanpur SHO Krishnakant Singh till further orders.