Sarpanch, dad put price tag on rape victim

The girl’s mother Rekha, said her husband Bhola and sarpanch of Saharanpur Basti village Amar Nath Sharma are now forcing them to reach a compromise with the accused.

In a written complaint to the Panchkula Deputy Commissioner, Rekha says, ‘‘The sarpanch and my husband have not only threatened us to withdraw the case, but are also putting pressure on my daughter to marry a mentally-challenged boy of the village.’’

‘‘We are being offered Rs 5 lakh for this and my husband has said yes,’’ says Rekha, who is a daily-wage earner. Her husband, she says, has been living with another woman for the last 15 years.

Bhola wants custody of the girl so that he can put pressure on her to withdraw the complaint, Rekha alleged.

Rekha had contacted the All India Democratic Women’s Association chief secretary Karishma Rana, who took her to the Panchkula DC on May 24.

The DC referred the matter to the Panchkula SP, saying, ‘‘This is a serious matter. Please have it investigated so as to make sure that at least the elected representatives are not seen on the wrong side of the law.’’ The Panchkula SP, in turn, told the Kalka DSP to investigate the matter.

But Rana said, ‘‘We could not meet the Kalka DSP on May 25 and 26. Today, the DSP’s reader told that they have not received any such letter from the office of the Panchkula SP. We will meet the DSP again.’’

Child marriage norm, says Jalandhar family

: The bride was three, her groom, five. There was no qazi to read out the vows , and the groom’s family offered a buffalo for mehr. The marriage ceremony of Rehmat Ali, son of Imam Hussain, and Munira, daughter of his uncle Ibrahim, lasted three days. DCP Ashok Gupta said both families would be booked under law.but that’s the norm, says the bride’s family, from Chamba.