Miss-Delectable
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http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=166112
In a rare case that has raised the hackles of women’s rights activists and lawyers, a rape accused has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the victim, a deaf-mute girl and her family members. Under the MoU, both parties have agreed to tie the knot.
The MoU between 22-year-old victim and accused Dilip Mulji Vaghela has been signed on a Rs 50 stamp paper before a notary in Ahmedabad.
Dilip and his friend Vinod were arrested last year by the Women’s Cell of Crime Branch for allegedly gangraping the deaf-mute girl.
However in the MoU, Dilip states that he never raped the girl, but that he likes the her and wants to spend rest of his life with her.
“Our relationship is two years old. I want to marry her and even agree to bear all her medical expenses,” says Dilip, currently in judicial custody.
The MoU which also states that both families are keen to see the couple married, has the signatures of girl, her mother Mala Rajput, Dilip and his mother Krishna Vaghela.
Appearing on Dilip’s behalf, advocate K N Thakur on Tuesday submitted a copy of the MOU before the city and sessions court. Thakur says, “The girl is not mentally challenged and can understand everything through sign language. She has been working as a domestic help for the last six years in Meghaninagar and earns Rs 1,500 per month.”
A resident of Meghaninagar, Dilip worked as a Class IV government employee and knew the girl for past several years. However, the prosecution alleges that the girl was mentally challenged and was gangraped by Dilip and Vinod on various occasions.
Her mother Mala failed to understand her sign language until she realised that her daughter was three months pregnant.
Mala then left her daughter in a mental hospital on August 18 giving a fake address. However, Meghaninagar police traced the family after receiving a call from an informer on September 2 and even registered a rape complaint.
The victim gave birth to a baby girl in the mental hospital which was later adopted by a Muslim couple from Dahod.
While police filed the chargesheet against Dilip, Mala filed an affidavit before the court stating that it should discharge Dilip and she be allowed to marry off her daughter to Dilip.
While the court is yet to a pass final order, public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt says, “The prosecution has ample evidence to prove the two accused guilty. How can a mentally challenged girl sign an MoU? It is a criminal case not a business deal.”
Women rights activist Vani Sharma who run ‘Saath’, an NG for rape victims says, “The whole idea of an accused signing an MoU with a victim is ridiculous. The court should take strict action against such arrangements and even punish the families which are trying to sheild the accused.”
In a rare case that has raised the hackles of women’s rights activists and lawyers, a rape accused has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the victim, a deaf-mute girl and her family members. Under the MoU, both parties have agreed to tie the knot.
The MoU between 22-year-old victim and accused Dilip Mulji Vaghela has been signed on a Rs 50 stamp paper before a notary in Ahmedabad.
Dilip and his friend Vinod were arrested last year by the Women’s Cell of Crime Branch for allegedly gangraping the deaf-mute girl.
However in the MoU, Dilip states that he never raped the girl, but that he likes the her and wants to spend rest of his life with her.
“Our relationship is two years old. I want to marry her and even agree to bear all her medical expenses,” says Dilip, currently in judicial custody.
The MoU which also states that both families are keen to see the couple married, has the signatures of girl, her mother Mala Rajput, Dilip and his mother Krishna Vaghela.
Appearing on Dilip’s behalf, advocate K N Thakur on Tuesday submitted a copy of the MOU before the city and sessions court. Thakur says, “The girl is not mentally challenged and can understand everything through sign language. She has been working as a domestic help for the last six years in Meghaninagar and earns Rs 1,500 per month.”
A resident of Meghaninagar, Dilip worked as a Class IV government employee and knew the girl for past several years. However, the prosecution alleges that the girl was mentally challenged and was gangraped by Dilip and Vinod on various occasions.
Her mother Mala failed to understand her sign language until she realised that her daughter was three months pregnant.
Mala then left her daughter in a mental hospital on August 18 giving a fake address. However, Meghaninagar police traced the family after receiving a call from an informer on September 2 and even registered a rape complaint.
The victim gave birth to a baby girl in the mental hospital which was later adopted by a Muslim couple from Dahod.
While police filed the chargesheet against Dilip, Mala filed an affidavit before the court stating that it should discharge Dilip and she be allowed to marry off her daughter to Dilip.
While the court is yet to a pass final order, public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt says, “The prosecution has ample evidence to prove the two accused guilty. How can a mentally challenged girl sign an MoU? It is a criminal case not a business deal.”
Women rights activist Vani Sharma who run ‘Saath’, an NG for rape victims says, “The whole idea of an accused signing an MoU with a victim is ridiculous. The court should take strict action against such arrangements and even punish the families which are trying to sheild the accused.”
