A delegation of the Nishad community met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday (August 7, 2024) in Ayodhya demanding the strictest possible punishment for the accused in the gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl hailing from the community.
Representatives of the Nishad community who came to meet Mr. Adityanath included Mahant Ramsevak Das Nishad, Sandeep Nishad, Durga Prasad Nishad, Anju Nishad, Manjeet Nishad, Asharam Nishad, and Vishnu Nishad. โDuring the 15-minute meeting, the Chief Minister assured the community that the perpetrators would receive the strictest possible punishment, with no leniency. The Nishad community representatives expressed their support for measures being taken against the accused SP leader,โ reads a statement from the U.P. government.ย
Moid Khan, the prime accused, is a Samajwadi Partyย (SP) functionary in Ayodhya. He and his employee Raju Khan are accused of raping the minor girl for over two months and recording the rape. The crime was uncovered when a recent medical examination revealed the victim was pregnant. The accused video-recorded the assault and used the recording to abuse and intimidate the girl. A bakery owned by the main accused was demolished, a day after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath met with the victimโs mother and assured her of justice on August 2.