Linkan stabber still at large, police drag feet

NOIDA: A month has passed after a 29-year-old software engineer was brutally beaten for trying to stop a minor girl from being forcibly married off by her mother to a man more than 10 years older, but police are yet to arrest the main accused in the case. Several volunteer workers with the NGO, US-AID India, with which the victim is associated, submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate asking him to intervene and expedite the arrest of the accused.They have warned that if the accused is not arrested soon, they will take to the streets to lodge their protest.
Linkan Subuddhi was attacked for trying to rescue the minor girl on September 19. The 15-year-old girl's prospective groom and her mother allegedly stabbed Linkan and hit her with bricks, causing her serious head injuries. The duo also tried to strangle her during the attack. While the minor girl's mother is currently in judicial custody, the prospective groom and perpetrator of the brutal attack, Suraj alias Mohamed Ameer Hamza, continues to roam free.
Police claim they have formed teams to look out for the main accused. "Our teams went to Bihar twice but were not able to find Suraj. We are raiding several areas where he could be hiding and will apprehend him soon," said Shivram Yadav, DSP, Noida.
However, Linkan's family and friends allege that the cops are dragging their feet and the investigation is going nowhere.
"We have provided the investigating officer and the SSP with crucial information about the whereabouts and mobile number being used by the accused through which he can be tracked and arrested. But so far police has not taken any cognizance of the information," said Atul Sharma, a member of the NGO.
Volunteers of US-AID India said if the accused was not arrested soon, they would intensify their stir. "We will be forced to agitate against the indifferent attitude of police and the administration. We want justice for Linkan and will not rest till Suraj is arrested," said a volunteer.