A Dalit worker says she was gangraped by her supervisors in India

Nandini Sircar:

It's a bitter reminder of the Bhanwari Devi case that shocked Rajasthan 13 years ago.

A Dalit anganwadi worker says she was gangraped by her supervisors at a state sponsored training camp.

Battling for justice, the victim's family says the police tried to hush up the matter to favour the accused.

The government has now ordered a probe into the rape of 25-year-old Lachhi Devi.

Currently Lachhi Devi is undergoing treatment at Jaipur's SMS hospital. She is unable to recall the incident that took place on the night of December 30 very clearly but says that a man summoned her to an isolated room where she was probably drugged before she was raped.

"The lights were turned off and there were two more people besides him in the room whom I cannot recognize. I was given something after which I don't recall much except that I was raped."

Lachhi Devi does not even know if all the three men raped her or just two.

Her family learned about the incident three days later, but her husband, Ram Niwas, says the police tried to cover up the matter and refused to register an FIR.

"They refused to register the case without my wife's statement. I told them she was not in a condition to give a statement but even then they refused to register a case," he says.

The FIR was lodged only on January 20. The Police in Karauli agreed to look into the matter only after the case came under the scanner if the government.

State Home Minister of Rajasthan, Gulab Chand Kataria says, "It is a matter that needs to be investigated. We have spoken to our top officials and we have asked the Inspectcor General to send a team led by Additional Superintendent of Police to look into the matter."

While the administration is assuring justice, caste conflicts are already raging in Karauli. The victim's family hopes she doesn't actually end up being another Bhanwari Devi.

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