Dalit girl death: Witnesses fear attack, seek protection

Bhopal: Day after the Supreme Court rejected the plea of MP govt and ordered a CBI investigation into the controversial death of Dalit girl, Anjana, 20, in Barodia Naunagir village of Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, fresh concerns emerged over the safety of witnesses. A key petitioner and brother of the deceased Dalit girl, sought police protection claiming that his elderly parents reportedly left their home for an undisclosed location.A bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice N K Singh on Wednesday rejected the investigation theory of the MP Police and ordered a CBI probe in the case.Vishnu Ahirwar, nephew of murdered witness Rajendra Ahirwar and a co-petitioner in the SC case, wrote to the director general of police (DGP), MP, seeking security for himself and his mother, citing threats and intimidation linked to the case. He told TOI that he requires 'immediate security arrangements'."Rajendra's parents have not been seen since yesterday. I am scared too. My applications for security to DGP and other officers remain unattended" Vishnu said.The case relates to a sexual assault case filed by the survivor and her kin dating to 2019 against some influential people in the region. When the complainants refused to bow to pressure, her brother Nitin alias Lalu was assaulted on June 24, 2023 leading to his death. Rajendra Ahirwar, uncle of Nitin was a witness to the killing.Anjana and her family meanwhile moved the police including SP, IG and director general of police demanding a fair probe into the deaths and feared for their lives. The witness Rajendra Ahirwar died in a suspicious condition after an assault a year later in June 2024 while he was returning to Sagar. A day later while Anjana was accompanying the body of Rajendra she died under mysterious circumstances after falling off the hearse.Her brother Vishnu and family have since been demanding a fair probe into the deaths, alleging that influential people were behind the murders.In the application, Vishnu told the DGP that he fears for the lives of himself, his mother and other family members, alleging that they could be attacked or killed like his brother Nitin alias Lalu, his relative Rajendra Ahirwar and his sister Anjana. He requested that security be provided to him and his family and that legal action be initiated against those allegedly threatening witnesses.