Displaced, ‘rape victim’ seeks justice

GULMI, AUG 22 -
A rape victim of of Balithum-3 has arrived at the district headquarters with her daughter citing security threats in the village.

Bijuli Sunar, an 18-year-old differently abled Dalit woman, who gave birth to the child as she was reportedly raped by local resident Ram Bahadur Shrestha three years ago, said she left the village after the perpetrator and his family members started threatening her.

“They asked me to either kill the child or hand her over to them after receiving Rs 10,000 as compensation so that they could kill her,” she said.

Sunar said Shrestha raped her when she had gone to fetch water from a local tap and the issue was settled after her father received Rs 30,000 as compensation promising to take care of her. “My alcoholic father, however, started ignoring me after spending all the amount and I cannot earn a living on my own,” she said. She lamented that she has been receiving threats from her own father.

Meanwhile, Sunar has lodged a complaint with the District Administration Office and asked Chief District Officer Kamal Raj Dhakal for her security.

After the complaint was registered, Dhakal instructed police to arrest the alleged rapist and initiate an investigation into the matter. Sunar has been kept at a women’s rehabilitation centre in the district.

Dalit Women’s Union Chairperson Kamala Baral, who has been helping Sunar get justice, urged the authorities concerned to initiate action against everyone involved in the incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rajkumar Lamsal, said they were seriously concerned about the matter and that police have initiated a process to ensure justice for the woman

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