Ranchi: Kedar Hazra, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Jamua (Giridih district) assembly segment has been accused of protecting a rape accused. The two times BJP MLA has also been accused of threatening a minor rape survivor and her family during a panchyat session. He allegedly intimidated the victim by saying that her home would be set ablaze and both she and her family would be thrown out of the village.
The minor rape survivor recorded her statement before the judicial magistrate Pawan Kumar under section 164 of CrPC on Monday during which she claimed that at the panchayat, Nakul Hazra, father of the accused, beat both the survivor and her mother with slippers.
The mother of the survivor while talking to eNewsroom, said, “When my daughter informed us about the rape, vidhayak ji (the MLA), whose nephew has raped my daughter asked us, not to lodge a police complaint as he would settle it in the panchayat. But he did nothing apart from shielding the rapist. In the meantime, lodging of the FIR got delayed.”
Earlier, on October 25, the family explaining the circumstances under which the 15-year-old girl was raped, stated, “We don’t have a toilet. So, she went out into the fields to relieve herself, when Nitish Hazra, son of Nakul abducted her and took her to the forest area, where he raped her despite her putting up a fight. He later threatened to kill her if she approached the police and left.”
Nakul is the brother of Kedar Hazra, BJP’s MLA from Jamua and according to the victim’s family, they all live in the same village – Karodih.
The minor’s family accused the family of not paying heed to their pleas. “When we went to meet Nitish’s father to share the ordeal, His father after listening to us got angry, and accused us of levelling false allegations against his son. He claimed that their son couldn’t rape.”
After returning from the accused home, they called the MLA. “We made a call to Vidhayak ji. He was out of Giridih and said us to wait till he returned. The villagers asked us wait till he returned because of his assurance,” she added.
“But after four days, when he returned and called panchayat, the boy was not present during the meeting. Vidhayak ji asked my daughter to narrate what happened to her. On which she demanded that the accused should be present in the panchayat against whom the allegation has been made. But, after listening to my daughter, Nakul got angry and started beating her and me with slipper. He said that, he (Nitish) will not appear in panchayat as we were making false allegations. Later vidhayak also threatened us to set ablaze our house and have us thrown out of the village,” added the mother.
Thereafter, on October 30, the family lodged an FIR at Jamua police station, following which the minor underwent a medical test and had her statement recorded before magistrate. However, the accused is yet to be arrested.
The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajiv Kumar on being asked about the progress in the case, told eNewsroom, “The hunt is on, soon the accused will be arrested.”
When eNewsroom contacted Kedar Hazra, to seek his comment on this case, the MLA, disconnected the call after listening to the question.
However, Ravindra Rai, BJP MP from Koderma, under which Jamua constituency falls, claimed that it to be a ploy to tarnish the MLA’s image.
Meanwhile, the issue of the MLA shielding the accused is being widely criticised and protested. CPI-ML leader Vinod Singh, who is going to lead protest march on November 10 told eNewsroom, “It is not only about BJP’s Jamua MLA. Be it Jharkhand, UP or some other place, if any party person is involved in cases of violence against women, the party has either saved or patronised the accused. BJP which came up with slogans like, Beti Bachao, Beti Padao, its leaders have always been seen standing with the accused and culprits rather than the victims.”
“In this case, the MLA should be arrested for threatening the victim’s family. And if BJP really cares for the women, then it should dismiss the Jamua MLA,” Singh added.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s District Convenor Krishan Murari Sharma threatened that if accused has not been arrested, party will hit the street for the justice of the victim.
