Bikaner rape case: explanation sought from state home minister Kataria

Jaipur: National Commission for Women has served a notice on Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, seeking an explanation from him for his statements in the Bikaner gang rape case. Kataria had raised questions over the delay in registration of FIR by the 13-year-old victim’s father. Kataria said why it took the father two years to come forward and register the case.

The complainant alleged that his 13-year-old daughter was gang raped and sexually abused for one and half years in Bikaner’s Nokha. He came to know about the abuse in 2015, but it took him to two years to approach the police. The father, however, recently took a U-turn, saying he was not mentally stable  when he registered the case. He said his daughter had not been abused by the teachers.

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The commission has nevertheless asked Kataria to explain as to why he made such a statement despite being in a position of power and the state’s home minister. Commission officials said Kataria would be summoned to appear before the commission if he didn’t send a satisfactory reply to the notice.

Rajasthan Child and Women Welfare Minister Anita Bhadel had also termed the case as being “concocted”.  She told media persons that the father had retraced from his statements, saying he filed the FIR under influence of some intoxicating substance. Bhadel told media persons the girl was not raped. She had dropped out of the school 4-5 years ago.