We are releasing the full text of the letter written by CPI(M) General Secretary and leader of CPI(M) Group in Rajya Sabha, Shri Sitaram Yechury to Shri Rajnath Singh, Minister for Home Affairs, Government of India on September 9 for urgent intervention in a case of gruesome crime perpetrated against a landless poor family in Mewat, Haryana.
Dear Shri Rajnathji,
I am constrained in writing to you with pain and anguish drawing your attention to facts concerning the barbarism involving rape and murder perpetrated on the family of Jahuruddin of Dingerheri village of Taoru subdivision of Mewat district(Haryana) on the night between 24 and 25 August, 2016. The facts are based on the findings of a team of CPI (M) leaders Surender Singh and Inderjit Singh who visited Dingerheri on 30 August. Inderjit also participated in and addressed a largely attended Panchayat at Taoru on September 1. The following account is based on details provided first hand to the party leaders by members of the aggrieved family, media reports and revealed by those who spoke in the Panchayat.
1. The landless family of Jahurddin of Dingerheri village earn their livelihood by farming few acres of land on contract in proximity of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal(KMP) highway. Like many other farming families they also live at the farm in thatched dwellings although they do own a house in the village where other members of the family live.
2. A gang of drunken local antisocial elements stormed the farm dwellings on the midnight of 25 August, 2016. Four of them have since been arrested by the police.
3. In all likelihood, they came with the sole motive of making two young girls their sexual target. But the elder couple (Ibrahim 38 and Rashidan 35) woke up with noise of their arrival. They challenged the intruders but were hit hard, injured grievously and succumbed on the spot. Other four family members were also critically injured including Jaffaruddin, his wife Aisha and two siblings Parvez and Naved aged 11 years and 8 years respectively.
4. The two girls were the next to be caught and raped. The elder one somehow managed to slip and hide herself in the standing Bajra crop. The criminals caught her 6 month boy upside down and threatened to cut him into pieces with the knife if the mother did not surrender. As a result, she had to eventually come out of her hiding. Both these girls were gang raped perhaps for more than an hour. The younger victim girl is a minor of 13 years.
5. Remaining family members were informed and they were stunned to witness the trail of horror before their eyes. Police too arrived in the meantime. But, they did not initiate appropriate legal procedure commensurate with the gravity of the crime.
6. Both rape victims were transported all alone to district headquarter of Nuh even though, the two dead bodies were still lying. They were kept in a room and even drinking water was not made available. Girls were taken under the pretext of getting their statement recorded before a magistrate.
7. Section 302 of IPC was added only one week after the episode at the insistence and intervention of the senior lawyers of the Bar association. Initially section 460 IPC of trespassing causing murder etc. was invoked in the FIR.
8. The family and their relatives were still terribly traumatized by the horrific crime, as well as, most outrageous and unbecoming conduct of the police officers has led to deep sense of anger among the people in the entire area, cutting across communities.
9. Now there are reports, that all these four are part of the local Gau Rakshak Dal.
Heavy rains failed to deter the people from reaching Taoru town to take part in the Nyay Panchayat. The venue had to be shifted from the gram market which could not accommodate the huge turnout, cutting across communities belonging to all ages including the enraged youth in large numbers. Legislators, former ministers, ex MLAs, ex. MPs, known distinguished citizens, Panchayat representatives, lawyers of the Nuh Bar Association, leaders of various political parties, social movements expressed their deep anger while addressing the congregation.
The Nyaya Panchayat issued an ultimatum to the Khattar government to do justice or face more massive agitation. The Panchayat unequivocally wanted the police officers of the district to be suspended forthwith.
Please treat it as most urgent and take necessary action as the Haryana government and its administration appear to be indifferent and insensitive in the matter. I am aware that law and order is a state subject in the Constitution. But we have, in the past, treated issues concerning religious minorities, women, the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes as subjects of national concern. On this basis, I am requesting your urgent intervention.