Mangalore: Attempt to communalize Deralakatte case condemnable: Prof Narendra Nayak
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (EP)
Mangalore, Jan 11: “The Deralakatte rape and blackmail incident is a serious case and the guilty should be severely punished. However, the attempt to add communal colour to incident is highly condemnable,” said Prof Narendra Nayak, president of All India Rationalists' Association and Asha Nayak, president of district women's and child welfare committee.
Prof Narendra Nayak and Asha Nayak were speaking at a press meet at their residence.
The couple was instrumental in saving the two students from the kidnappers with help of the police and in providing counseling. The Nayaks said that they are disappointed with the propaganda of the Sanga Parivar in this case and wish to place their experience in front of the public.
“We have supported the boy and the girl since the beginning of the case and have never asked their religion or their relationship. Their protection and privacy were of primary concern to us. The people who played dirty politics against the kidnappers and the students are anti-social elements. It is condemnable to see those who know nothing of the incident indulge in mudslinging in a bid to gain political mileage," they said.
"I received a distress phone call on December 19 from a girl requesting for help saying that a sick person was being beaten up for money. I said that I would speak to the patient. She said about the kidnap and said that she herself was the victim. She also said that her male companion is with the kidnappers and in a serious condition and requested for help. As I was in Udupi then, I informed my wife advocate Asha Nayak about it. Besides helping them in their release, she is also a witness,” said Prof Narendra Nayak.
Asha Nayak rubbished the allegations that the boy had joined hands with the kidnappers. She said that the boy was badly beaten up by the kidnappers and had suffered even more mental and physical pain than the girl. She lamented that rumours of his involvement had spread just because the kidnappers and the boy happen to be from the same community. She also ruled out political pressure in the case.
Explaining the incident, Asha Nayak said that soon after she received a call from Prof Narendra Nayak, she went to the police commissioner with her friend to complain. “As he was busy in a meeting, we requested for help from ACP Ravi Kumar.
He immediately telephoned ACP Pavan. Both of them came in a car like ordinary people to the place where the girl was to pay ransom. However, we did not know the girl. We had to identify her only by the clothes worn by her. When we reached Deralakatte, the place of the incident, some kidnappers came in a new Swift car and fled looking at our car. We chased their car till Thokkottu junction. However, as they fled, the ACP informed other policemen about it and we came back for the girl. We must appreciate the role of a Muslim family here who kept the girl safely in their house till we returned. The Muslim were waiting for us. We took her to a secure place and got information about the incident. The kidnapped youth was also traced after that. We went to the police station with the girl.
"The police were not under pressure. Their cooperation enabled us to free the kidnapped boy and arrest the kidnappers. In case the boy was involved in the kidnap, would not the arrested accused disclose his name during police questioning?" asked Asha Nayak.
"The police did an excellent job. On January 2 I was called by the police commissioner saying that they had got copy of the statement given by the girl. He first read it and showed the copy to me. We pointed out that as per the amended section there was a case of rape and gang rape. Accordingly the police commissioner acted on it and asked his subordinates to file a memo before the magistrate to include rape charges, which was done on January 3. It was done meticulously and there was absolutely no lapse on the part of the police. This is what we have seen," she asserted.
"I helped the victims more as a human being than as an advocate. We are pained by the fact that the case is being used as an excuse to create tension between two communities. My friend and I ventured to help the victims without thinking of our own lives. As the matter was sensitive, we did not want that to be publicized," she said.
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