Members of the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers and Assistants’ Federation district committee took out a protest rally here on Monday demanding action against the culprits in a gang-rape case reported from Chintaki in Aurad taluk.
The protesters marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and shouted slogans against “police inaction”. They said the police were trying to protect the offenders. “The police officers are not believing the victim’s version and have not arrested the accused yet,” they allged.
Shivaraj Katagi, leader of the federation, suspected that political forces might be at play and demanded that the accused be arrested immediately and the victim be protected. He said that anganwadi workers were serving in villages for decades for a small amount of money. “Some of them have faced sexual assault and even murder. Such things should not repeat, ” he said.
The angawadi worker was allegedly gang-raped on December 27. The victim named nine men and accused her sister of being an accomplice in the incident. The Bidar police are yet to arrest anyone in the case as they are suspicious of some facts in the victim’s oral statement.
They suspect that vested interests were using the victim to settle political scores. Officials attached to the Bidar Women’s Police Station are investigating the case.
