Temple rape: Lawyer braves threats, says it’s a fight for her daughter too

News Network
April 15, 2018

Jammu, Apr 15: Deepika Singh Rajawat, an advocate in Jammu, who faced the wrath of Hindutva politics after taking up the case of temple gang-rape, says that her fight is not just for the 8-year-old child who was raped but for all children including her daughter.

“That is my daughter. She is five years old and her name is Ashtami. I am fighting this case also for her,” says Rajawat showing the framed photograph of a chubby, smiling girl on the desk in a small room of her house in Jammu.

Within days after Rajawat took up the case of the 8-year-old Bakarwal girl who was drugged and gang-raped for a week in a temple and murdered in January, she began getting threats to stay away. Many from the Bar took to the streets — some brandishing sticks — and shouted slogans against the state government, asking that the case be transferred from the J&K police’s crime branch to the CBI.

Not one to be cowed into silence, she went on Facebook a day after the incident on April 5 and wrote: “The president of the Jammu High Court Bar Association mistreated me. He used unparliamentary language and threatened me not to appear in cases during a strike by the lawyers.”

Showing the copy of a letter she received from the Jammu & Kashmir HC on Saturday that asks the in-charge of the security wing of the court to provide her protection during her appearances, she said, “But when I confronted the senior advocate and told him that I can fight any case I want, I was told there are ways to stop me. But this letter from the high court gives me strength even though there is a corner in my heart that is a little afraid. These are powerful people.”

Rajawat had earlier also filed a complaint on the issue with the Chief Justice of J&K HC and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. She said she was not safe and she had no idea how long the protests by the lawyers’ body would go on.

The case, in the Kootah court right now as Rasana comes under its jurisdiction, saw a dramatic turn when recently lawyers tried to stop the chargesheet, which narrates in detail the crime against the Bakarwal girl, from being forwarded.

Asked if she is confident she will win as the crime branch, which is probing the rape-murder, has lost precious forensic evidence (the girl’s body was allegedly bathed and her clothes washed soon after she was found), she said, “It’s really messed up. The first few days after the crime was detected, some dreadful things happened. The local police station did not file an FIR. That happened only after 2-3 days. On January 17, her body was found. Then the ‘clean-up’ began. It was being hushed up. The policeman who did this is one of the eight accused.”

Rajawat, who said seriousness in the “pursuit for justice” came only after the HC intervened, asked why she should support seeking a CBI probe. “Does the CBI have a spotless record? I can rattle off cases that have been botched. I am happy with what the crime branch is doing. Though there have been setbacks, we have covered some ground. There are repairs being made. Just that the case now has to be transferred to some other part of the state. That is our only hope.”

Comments

angel of death
 - 
Monday, 16 Apr 2018

Great lady, i really appricate for your courage.. today is 8 year old muslim child tomorrow may be all indian child... so wake up all coward hindus... your religion has been hijaked by so called chutiya ram bakth & dickless desh bakth...before they come to your house asking for your daughter wake up... 

fabeen
 - 
Sunday, 15 Apr 2018

Please stand with this brave women lawer...we salute you sister....

A Father
 - 
Sunday, 15 Apr 2018

Dear Advocate, 

 

I salute you for the cause you are fighting.

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News Network
January 7,2020

Jan 7: A Delhi Court today issued death warrant against four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. The hanging will take place on January 22 at 7 am.

During the hearing, the prosecution said there was no application pending before any court or the President right now by any of the convicts and the review petition of all the convicts was dismissed by the Supreme Court.

On Monday, the court had reserved order on issuing of death warrants against four death row convicts.

Today's order comes days after mother of the victim in the 2012 Delhi gang-rape and murder case moved the Supreme Court on opposing the plea filed by one of the four death-row convicts seeking review of its 2017 judgement awarding him death penalty.

The apex court had on July 9 last year dismissed the review pleas filed by the other three convicts — Mukesh (30), Pawan Gupta (23) and Vinay Sharma (24) — in the case, saying no grounds have been made out by them for review of the 2017 verdict.

The 23-year-old girl was gangraped and murdered by six men on a moving bus on 16 December 2012. The main accused, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail during the trial. Another accused was a minor at the time of the commission of the crime and was sent to a reform facility and released after three years.

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News Network
April 14,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 14: Only three fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Kerala on April 13, while 19 confirmed patients, who were undergoing treatment, tested negative for the infection, according to the COVID-19 Outbreak Control and Prevention State Cell, Health and Family Welfare Department, Kerala government.

As of Monday evening, there are just 178 positive COVID-19 cases in the State.

Twelve patients from Kasargod district, three each from Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts, and one from Kannur district are among those who have recovered from COVID-19 and tested negative.

To date, there have been a total of 378 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Kerala.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has demanded that State Relief Funds be made eligible for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding by making changes to the Companies Act.

Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said, "The Government of Kerala is of the opinion that contributions to the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Funds should be included as an eligible expenditure under CSR. In a federal setup, the Relief Funds set up by the States for a public purpose cannot be excluded from the eligibility criteria when the same is available for a Central Fund set up with similar objectives and aims."

The Kerala CM said that he has written to the Prime Minister in this regard urging him to make the necessary changes.

Vijayan once again reiterated the demand of the State government to bring back stranded Keralites from overseas and added that, "We will extend all possible help and support to the Pravasi Malayalees when they come back also including rehabilitation of those who would lose their jobs in the backdrop of the pandemic outbreak."

He added that a decision on extending the lockdown in the State will be taken after taking into account the decision of the Central government in the address by the Prime Minister scheduled for April 14.

Comments

AJS
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Apr 2020

HATS-OFF TO BOLD CHIEF MINISTER OF KERALA MR. VIJAYAN... BAHUBALI

THE ONLY CHIEF MINISTER TO APPROACH GCC FOR HIS PEOPLE.... A ROLL MODEL FOR OTHER STATES AND CENTER

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News Network
February 3,2020

New Delhi, Feb 3: Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had called himself an "anarchist" and there is not much of a "difference between an anarchist and a terrorist".

His remarks come a few days after the Election Commission issued a show cause notice to BJP MP Parvesh Verma for allegedly calling Kejriwal a "terrorist".

Addressing a press conference here, Javadekar raked up the issue of Kejriwal "staying a night at the Moga residence of Khalistan Commando Force chief Gurinder Singh during the Punjab Assembly polls".

"You knew it was a militant's house. Still, you stayed there. How much more evidence do you need?" he said.

"Kejriwal is now asking with a sad face, 'am I a terrorist?' You are a terrorist and there is a lot of evidence to prove that. You yourself had said you are an anarchist. There is not much of a difference between an anarchist and a terrorist," the senior BJP leader said.

Flanked by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and Union minister Anurag Thakur, Javadekar said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was supporting Shaheen Bagh, where slogans of "Assam ko azadi", "Jinnah wali azadi" were being raised. "Supporting such slogans is also terrorism".

He alleged that Kejriwal stood with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where "anti-India slogans were raised, and did not grant sanction to prosecute (those who raised the slogans)".

"On January 26, you threatened that you would stop their prosecution. How much more proof do you need? The people of Delhi now know that you are the chief of liars, you are an anarchist and sympathise with terrorists.

"You are supporting Shaheen Bagh, JNU, the slogans being raised there and all such anarchists...then you are definitely a terrorist. This is your identity, no matter how innocent face you make," he said.

On Thursday, the Election Commission had issued a show cause notice to Verma, the BJP MP from West Delhi, for allegedly calling Kejriwal a "terrorist".

He was earlier barred from campaigning for 96 hours (four days) for making controversial remarks at a poll meet recently.

An emotional Kejriwal had later said it was for the people of Delhi to decide whether they consider him their son, brother, or a terrorist.

"How have I become a terrorist? I've arranged for medicines...did so much for the needy. I've never thought of myself or my family... am ready to give my life for the nation," he had said at a press conference.

Comments

Abdul Gaffar Bolar
 - 
Tuesday, 4 Feb 2020

RSS is a terrorist organization and they made agreement with another terrorist BODO organization.

Fairman
 - 
Monday, 3 Feb 2020

Kejrival or others no need to clarify these goons.

 

Who are these goons to be replied,

They are the worst terrorists on this whole universe.

 

Kerjrival and AAP team,  don't look at these goons, just focus on  your unfinished next work.

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