Twelve-year-old Suhani*, who was allegedly gang-raped in a public toilet last week, can’t believe she is alive. With her mouth gagged, she had prepared for a “silent death”.
“The two men threatened they would kill me if I screamed or resisted. They talked about killing me later (after raping her),” said Suhani.
“I thought I would die,” she added.
The daughter of a couple who are daily wage labourers in central Delhi, Suhani had been sent to buy wheat from a local shop on the evening of December 27 when the two accused dragged her into a public toilet.
‘Slapped me by turns’
“They slapped me by turns. One of them pressed my mouth to stop me from screaming,” she said. The accused then allegedly took turns to rape her.
Family launched search
Suhani’s mother, meanwhile, began looking for her with her husband and two sons. “I was calling out for my daughter when I saw a man run out of the bathrooms,” said Suhani’s mother. This aroused her suspicion and she began checking the bathrooms, calling out to her daughter all the while.
“I heard my mother and tried to scream, but the man threatened to kill me. Since I knew they would kill me anyway, I used all my strength to shout for my mother,” says Suhani.
This led the second accused to run. The victim’s family and locals chased the accused, Ratan*, and nabbed him some distance away.
The police were then informed and the accused arrested after a medical examination confirmed rape. At his instance, the other suspect, Shivam*, was identified and nabbed. While both the accused claim to be juveniles, the victim’s family said they would fight to ensure the duo do not get away by “lying about age”.
Ordeal continues
But, the trauma for Suhani and her family doesn’t end here. Though they have a tiny room nearby, they had earlier been allotted accommodation where Suhani’s parents work.
After the incident, they have moved back to their own home. Suhani, meanwhile, has refused to leave the house. “She was a happy child, but she doesn’t speak to us any more. She won’t even play with her friends,” said her father.
*Names changed
