Activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Aam Aadmi Party protested separately in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Sunday condemning the kidnapping and sexual assault of a medical student in Manipal on Thursday.
Addressing protesters, Anantha Naik, president of the State unit of the SFI, alleged that the police had failed to trace the culprits even after two days of the incident. “It looks as if these law enforcing authorities protect these culprits instead of nabbing them,” he said.
He said that the SFI would intensify its agitation if the police failed to arrest the real culprits involved in it within 24 hours. “We will call for a bandh of schools and colleges in the twin districts,” he said.
Jeevan Raj Kuthar, joint secretary of the State unit, alleged that the police play foul games when it comes to arresting culprits.
“In the rape and murder case of Soujanya in Ujire, a mentally challenged person was booked paving the way for the main accused to escape punishment,” he claimed.
Activists of Aam Aadmi Party, too, condemned the gang-rape of the medical student in Manipal. In addition, party members condemned the assault on their party workers in New Delhi on June 23.
District convener Robert Rosario said: “Party volunteers staged protest asking the police to register an FIR in the case of a young woman who was confined and raped for two days in Gokulpuri, Delhi.
Although it was a peaceful protest, the police assaulted the volunteers. Several of them were admitted to the hospital with broken bones and other injuries. When one of our volunteers asked for the water, they offered urine,” he said.
