IMPHAL, December 29: Recently a woman from Manipur working for the NGO, Boond, alleged that she was raped by an NGO activist, Khurshid Anwar, on September 12, 2013, said a press statement of the Manipur Students’ Association, Delhi.
The complaint came to light when a video recording was taken and circulated in social media reportedly without the consent of the complainant, which has caused unnecessary politicization, i.e. negative intervention in the case by those with vested interests, it said.
After the accused committed suicide on December 18, 2013, certain persons are undertaking activities which amount to intimidation and vilification of the complainant, further reacted the student body.
It is quite evident that the complainant has not been guided and counselled satisfactorily, which has unfortunately allowed for her victimization making a free and fair trial increasingly difficult, it said.
For a free and fair trial all the people who were involved in the case and its reporting to the NCW should be properly investigated and also cautioned from communicating their personal views in the media to the detriment of the complainant and without acquiring proper consent from her, it opined.
The Delhi Police should seriously look into the matter of intimidation and vilification of the victim for a free and fair trial, it said the student body take objection to the fact that the provision of rape-shield has not been made for the complainant so far.
“All those involved in character assassination should be duly punished, and the Delhi Police, NCW and Human Rights Commission should take proper cognizance of the fact that some of the vigilante persons speaking on this case have been continuously making racist and gendered allegations against the complainant”, the statement demanded.
The police, in particular, should take cognizance of such unwanted interference in the case, it said before declaring that if the vilification of the complainant continues, MSAD has resolved to approach higher government and Police authorities, and push for stringent action against the compromising of a free and fair trial.
Since a free and fair trial requires the following of the proper judicial process, we appeal to all concerned persons to desist from undue intervention in the judicial process. MSAD is keeping a close vigil on the developments of the case, and if the investigation process fails to be objective we will not hesitate from making an active intervention and to resort to all possible democratic means so that due judicial process can be pursued, it said.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/12/free-and-fair-trial-in-rape-case-essential-msad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-and-fair-trial-in-rape-case-essential-msad