Rape, murder of 17-yr-old haunts Rabri home turf

Ram Das and other villagers will vote for Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which does not have much of a base in this constituency. They have deserted the RJD because the murder accused, they say, are close relatives of a senior RJD leader. Nor will they vote for Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP as they believe one of the killers is being protected by one of Paswan’s relatives.

‘‘The killers are living in the village. They regularly threaten us and tell us to withdraw the case,’’ says Rajkumar Das, Manju’s brother. After the local police station refused their complaint, Rajkumar and his sister had gone to the Vaishali SP who ordered the registration of the complaint. ‘‘We are ruling, you better withdraw the case, they told us.”

The lines are not new to Rajkumar. Around 30 years ago, he had studied in the Saitapur Primary School nearby. Even as the school stopped functioning, the headmaster turns up once a year, conducts an exam and promotes students. Rajkumar’s children go to the same school. Rajkumar had voted in earlier elections with the Yadavs, who have become landed families now, but now he says ‘‘it is of no use”.