NCW condemns Kathua, Unnao rapes

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday condemned the rape incidents in Jammu & Kashmir's Kathua and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, calling for action against the perpetrators.

The Commission said it has also issued a notice to Surendra Pal Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker from Bairia in Ballia district, who questioned the complainant's accusation in the Unnao rape by reportedly saying "who will rape mother of three".

"The NCW strongly condemns the brutal gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua and the rape case in Unnao.

"While we strongly condemn the heinous crimes, the Commission in its mandate cannot act or take action in both cases as they involve victims who are minors," it said in a statement.

It pointed out the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, formed through an act of Parliament, was the appropriate body to take action in the two cases.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP MLA from Unnao, has been accused of raping a Dalit teenager.

The incident came to light when the victim along with her family members tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's house on Sunday. The police later picked up the woman's father who died in police custody on Monday after being beaten up allegedly by the MLA's aides and police.

In the Kathua rape case, Asifa, a minor girl from Bakarwal community was found dead and mutilated in woods on January 17 after having gone missing for a week.

According to police charge sheet, several people, including a police officer, raped her before bashing her head with a stone.

Sanji Ram, the caretaker of a temple, has been identified as the main conspirator and is alleged to have planned the act to instil fear among grazers from Bakarwal community.

--IANS

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