Furious Hindu Outfits Shut Down Market, Stage Demonstrations Over Rape Of Minor Girl In Chamoli

After the accused was arrested on Wednesday following a complaint by the survivor's father, locals staged protests and shut down a market demanding stringent action.

Chamoli: Several Hindu organisations in Tharali staged demonstrations and shut down a market demanding strict action against a youth from a minority who was arrested on Wednesday for raping a teenager. Urging people to maintain law and order in the area, police took out a flag march as tension prevailed on Wednesday.

Police said that the accused, who is a professional barber, first befriended the teenager on social media, and then hatched a plan to rape the teenager. After receiving a complaint from the girl's family, police registered a case on Wednesday and arrested the accused. The accused was then presented in the court, from where he was sent behind bars.

Angry locals then marched to the salon of the accused and tried to demolish it. Several Hindu organisations including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal took out a huge public awareness rally from Gwaldam Tharali Dewal Tiraha. Several protestors also clashed with the police during the rally, police said.

Witnessing the growing resentment among the people, the administration pulled up its socks and decided to organise a flag march to avoid any further untoward incident in the Tharali area. Heavy police force was deployed quickly to avoid incidents of communal violence.

A similar case was reported last month here when locals vandalised shops owned by members of the Muslim community and protested after a barber molested a minor girl in the district. Police said that the incident took place on August 21 when the accused passed lewd comments and made obscene gestures at a girl who lived near his shop.

The survivor's father complained after the girl informed him about it. However, by then, the accused was absconding. With the police unable to arrest the accused hours after the complaint, the locals took out a procession in the town and vandalised the shops of the accused and other people.