NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of a village Panchayat of Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh reportedly offering a minor rape victim’s family to accept Rs 5 thousand and terminate her pregnancy

Press release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi: 21st June, 2024

NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of a village Panchayat of Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh reportedly offering a minor rape victim’s family to accept Rs 5 thousand and terminate her pregnancy

The Commission dismayed over the Panchayat reportedly conniving with the miscreants instead of protecting the minor girl

Notices issued to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh

A detailed report in the matter called within one week

The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a village Panchayat asked the mother of a minor girl victim of sexual assault to take a sum of Rs Five thousand from her daughter’s tormentors and terminate her pregnancy in Singhaoli Ahir area of district Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh. Reportedly, life threats were also given to the aggrieved family at the behest of the miscreants, if they did not adhere to their diktat.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a grave violation of the victim's human rights. Going by the media report, it is indeed painful to note that the village Panchayat instead of protecting the minor girl connived in an unlawful act with the miscreants belonging to a resourceful section of society.

Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh calling for a detailed report within one week. The report is expected to include the status of the FIR and action taken against the guilty along with the victim’s health condition and compensation if any, provided to her by the authorities concerned.

As per the media report, carried on 19th June, 2024, the family of the victim has complained to the police stating that one person from the same village had forcefully entered their house and subjected her to rape in December, 2023. When the family tried to complain, the life threats were given to the mother, brother and sister of the victim girl. After that, the miscreant committed rape on the victim for five to six times resulting in her pregnancy. When the victim's family attempted to lodge a police complaint, they were stopped and forced to attend the Panchayat, where an offer of Rs 5,000/- was reportedly given to the family.

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