6 Accused Booked In Alleged Rape Case Of WB Activist Who Arrived At Tikri Border To Support Farmers' Protest

As per the activist's father, she came to Tikri from West Bengal on April 11 to support the farmers' protest where she was raped. SKM has alleged that the accused in the case are some persons posing to be Kisan Social Army members.

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New Delhi: Six people, including the two prime accused, have been named in an FIR registered in the alleged rape case of a woman activist who had arrived at Tikri Border from West Bengal to support the farmers' protest.

The accused have been booked following a complaint from the father on Saturday, a police official said.

A West Bengal-based woman had been allegedly gang-raped while she was going to join the farmers' protest at the Tikri border. A few days later, she was admitted to a hospital in Haryana as she experienced Covid-19 symptoms and eventually succumbed to the infection.

The police have informed that a team has been formed including three inspectors which will be supervised by DSP with the cyber cell, to track down the accused.

As per the father's statements in the First Information Report, the activist came to Tikri from West Bengal on April 11 to support the farmers' protest against the farm laws. 

She was admitted to a hospital in the Jhajjar district as she experienced Covid-19 symptoms on April 26.

"As per her father, she was raped. The victim was hospitalised for Covid and succumbed to it on April 30. A case has been registered into the matter and an SIT has been formed," Vijay Kumar, city police station in-charge told news agency ANI.

Quoting the complaint, Kumar stated the woman had narrated the rape incident to her father on phone. Further investigation is underway, he added.

As the matter came to light, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Sunday said that it had zero tolerance towards violence. The organisation stated that it stands with the "struggle for justice for our deceased woman colleague".

SKM has already taken strict action against the accused in this case and we are committed to taking this fight for justice to its logical conclusion, the statement read.

The farmers' group has alleged that the accused in the case are some persons posing to be Kisan Social Army members.

She was assaulted by some of these persons on the way to Delhi and after reaching the Tikri border. A week later, she developed a high fever and was found Covid-19 positive. She was admitted to a private hospital in Bahadurgarh. Sadly, on April 30, she passed away due to Covid-19, SKM wrote in the statement

When this came to the notice of the SKM, we decided to take the strictest possible action. Four days ago, the Tikri committee of SKM had already removed the tents and banners of the so-called Kisan Social Army'. The accused were also barred from participating in the movement and public appeal was issued for their social boycott, it added.

The SKM emphasised that the Kisan Social Army was never an authorised social media voice of the farmers' group and none of its handles has anything to do with their movement.

(With inputs from agencies)