Zeenews Bureau
Greater Noida: The Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed PIL seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be conducted in the alleged rape of women in Uttar Pradesh’ Bhatta and Parsaul villages by policemen in May last year.
The women in Bhatta and Parsaul villages were allegedly raped by UP Policemen in the aftermath of clashes between farmers and Noida police triggered by land acquisitions done by the state government.
The month-long violent agitation by the Bhatta and Parsaul residents also claimed the lives of two farmers and two policemen.
On January 16, the Allahabad High Court reserved its judgement, and considering the political sensitivity of the case, it decided to pronounce its verdict after the conclusion of the 2012 Assembly Elections in UP.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi also visited the twin villages and met the agitating farmers, who told him that several women were allegedly raped by the jawans of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
The charges of rape were prima facie found to be true by the National Commission for Women and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission that received representations from seven women from the village who claimed they were raped by the PAC jawans.
Ironically, the claims of rape were not backed by the fact finding team of the National Human Rights Commission.
With the state government taking no action in the case, the victims moved the High Court seeking judicial intervention to press the police for lodging of the FIR, which was written almost six months after the incident.
The issue also forced the SC/ST Commission to intervene and its chairman PL Punia threatened to initiate contempt proceedings unless the Uttar Pradesh Police take action on the Bhatta Parsaul rapes and registered FIRs.
The agitation by the farmers in the twin villages started after the state government passed on their surrendered land to commercial real estate developers, who made huge profits.
