The student who was sexually assaulted by a bank employee in Daulat Ram College was under pressure to change her statement in the FIR.
A first-year student from Daulat Ram College was sexually assaulted by an employee of the Indian Overseas Bank branch on campus on the 18th of January 2017 while commuting to college. The 52 year old accused, Devinder Kumar, had apparently helped out the victim when she needed funds for her mother’s treatment. He was arrested by the police under Section 354 for molestation, which is a non-bailable offence. The college authorities were informed by fellow students to whom the victim narrated the entire incident. The police investigated the case and the accused confessed to his crime. The victim underwent counselling after the assault while the guilty was held in custody.
During a personal interview with the victim recently, she disclosed that she had been under pressure to change her statement in the FIR against the guilty. Although she has not made any changes to her statement, she revealed that she was repeatedly asked by some officials of the bank, as well as the college faculty, to change her statement to lessen the impact of the issue. The accused is no longer in custody despite having confessed to the crime after having been granted bail by the magistrate. The victim revealed that Kumar managed to get bail within the first week of his arrest due to his contacts in the judiciary. She also revealed that she is only backed by a government prosecutor who, until now, has failed to keep the case going strong for her. The next hearing of the case has been postponed. The victim and her family are very disappointed with the lackadaisical attitude of the judicial system towards the case.
The girl shared her horrific experience and the superficial sympathy she’s being shown by her fellow college mates. She said that she had heard people talking behind her back, claiming that she was at fault because she chose to travel with the accused even after he made her uncomfortable earlier. The victim also girl expressed her anguish while talking of the students’ union of the college. The same students who stood up against the unkempt infrastructure before elections have now chosen to limit this case to a petty issue because of the focus on the upcoming fests in the college. These events have garnered more attention than supporting a victim of sexual assault in their college by an employee of the college. “College and court hearings are a part of my life now but I won’t step back,” she said. She boldly stated that she wants her case to be re-examined so that she can get justice.
Image Credits: nyccriminallawyer.com
By Radhika Boruah ([email protected])
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