Town remains tense following incident

Communities threaten to intensify protests

Tension prevailed in Sardhana after a 14-year-old girl was set ablaze by six men on August 17.

Locals belonging to the Thakur community threatened to intensify protests if the police failed to arrest all the accused soon and put them behind bars. Irate over the police, activists belonging to the Rajput community also protested at the tehsil headquarters here on Monday and threatened to intensify their protest.

Leaders give assurance

Meanwhile, several locals leaders including Muzaffarnagar riots-accused and BJP MLA Sangeet Som and MP Sanjeev Baliyan visited the girl at the Meerut hospital and assured her family that she would be taken to New Delhi for better treatment. The girl was first admitted to a local private hospital in Meerut after the incident. She was later shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

Ironically, the incident has come to light despite Yogi Adityanath government’s anti-Romeo squad that claims to ensure full proof security to women. “We have no faith in the police. Our girl is battling for life due to failure of police and administration,” said a family member requesting anonymity.