Neighbours force rape victim to marry predator

Bangalore, August 8: Parents of a 13-year-old rape victim in the City have been socially ostracised for refusing to marry their daughter off to the accused, so the case against him can be withdrawn.

Tormented by pressure from all quarters, the parents, Syed Kareem and Irshad Begum of Ramachandrapuram have written to the Karnataka High Court chief justice and the Karnataka State Commission of Protection of Child Rights, conveying their plight.

In their letter dated August 6, 2012, they urged the chief justice, the Lokayukta and the City police commissioner “to take cognisance of the complaint against the people responsible for our troubles.”

“They are pressurising us in one way or the other, hampering our day to day activities. No labourers are allowed to work in our shops. Though our daughter has been permitted to attend classes, she is being treated indifferently at school,” the letter read.

Apparently, even the civic authorities are adding to the family’s plight. The couple alleged that BBMP authorities are pressuring them to discontinue repair works at their house.

“They are preventing us from carrying out repair of our building. They said we can carry out the repairs only after we give in to the demand of the community,” the distraught parents said.

Holding certain members of the Ramachandrapuram Masjid Committee, who also happen to be relatives of the 23-year-old accused, Syed Shakeel, responsible for their plight, the couple said they were under tremendous pressure to withdraw the complaint against the accused.

“They have been demanding to marry our daughter to him, which is inhuman and impossible. We cannot welcome Shakeel into our family,” they stated in the letter.

“We are also facing continuous threats from several persons and fake organisations that are hand in glove with relatives of the accused.”

To make the matters worse, the police also seems to be in connivance with the accused as they refused to register a complaint, hence it had to be sent by post. Counsel for the complainants, Ramananda, told Deccan Herald that the family is even finding it difficult to get a birth certificate for the baby delivered by their daughter.