SP’s son shoots himself to ‘get justice for rape victim’

While Vijay’s family is also Dalit, they are affluent and wield clout in the village.

Vijay’s father, SP (Vigilance) Devi Singh Ashok, denies there is anything heroic in his son hanging between life and death, but the crowds outside the ICU, holding prasad and offering prayers for Vijay’s long life, tell their own story.

Devi Singh claims Vijay was injured while cleaning his rifle at his home in Bulandshahar. ‘‘Even Gandhiji and Dr Ambedkar did not try committing suicide over the rape of some Dalit woman. Do you think Vijay is a greater soul than them? Have you ever heard of a father committing suicide after his daughter was raped? The reports are untrue, there is no connection between the rape and what happened (to Vijay).’’

Police themselves deny both the rape and the ‘‘suicide bid’’. Claims area SHO Krishan Pal: ‘‘The girl came to us only on December 4 and said nothing had happened. She was just talking to the alleged rapists and her brother created a scene. She gave the same statement in court two days later.’’ Police say since the incident involved a Dalit, they took the girl to court so that she could file an affidavit denying the rape.

Pal says: ‘‘Vijay is the blacksheep in the family—ask the villagers how his first wife died (Pal hinted the wife was murdered). Vijay is an addict and must have shot himself in some frenzy.’’

Sarai Laong, however, doesn’t believe that. For them, the 36-year-old is their Messiah, among the few who stood for their rights. The villagers—a majority of whom are Jats—are yet to come out of the shock of the incident that allegedly happened on November 21. Even the kids at the school tell you of the incident, adding one of the ‘rapists’ lives next to her house while the other is in Ustra Goan.

The house of the alleged victim is empty. After a while a dark figure who identifies himself as the girl’s elder brother, Pappu, and tells you she has gone to a relative’s place along with her mother and younger brother. As villagers start gathering to have a look at his visitors, Pappu says: ‘‘Case to khatam ho gaya. Garib ki sunwai nahin huwi to case khatam.’’

He adds that he had tried to convince Vijay too to give up his efforts. ‘‘I along with my mother had gone and met Vijay sahib, but he didn’t listen. He had done a lot of running around already but nothing was happening.’’

According to Pappu, the rape took place on the evening of November 21. ‘‘My sister was raped in the courtyard of Devi Singh’s house,’’ he says. He accuses Vijay’s cousins Pardeep and Prabesh .