‘What if it happens to you’: Bihar MLA questions schoolgirls over rape case

Patna/Hajipur: Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) MLA Lalan Paswan has stirred a controversy by purportedly asking objectionable questions to girls of a residential Dalit school in Bihar’s Vaishali district where he had gone in connection with death of a Class X girl allegedly after being raped. He was caught on camera asking schoolgirls, “How can you tell she was raped… Where was blood coming from?” The MLA from Chenari (reserved seat) in Rohtas district, was captured on camera asking the questions relating to the incident during his visit to the residential school yesterday. RLSP is an ally of BJP in the NDA dispensation. During what he called an “interrogation”, he went on to add, “If you don’t tell us clearly, what will you do tomorrow if it (rape) happens to you? If the rapist comes to your room, what will happen then?” A Class X girl was found dead under mysterious circumstances and her clothes drenched in blood near the residential school on Monday morning. Standing amongst the teachers and students, he is also seen telling a girl, “You are educated, you should answer clearly.” He also alleged that some of the girls in the hostel were involved with boys, and given the chance he could solve the case by questioning the students. Suggesting that anyone could be involved in the murder, he said, that the attacker possibly was given access by someone inside the hostel. Later, the politician defended his actions by saying that his method might have been unorthodox and incorrect, but his intentions were to solve the crime. Asked about the incident, the RLSP blamed the media for creating an unnecessary controversy. “My intention was to help the girls of the Dalit residential school and in that spirit I was seeking information about the incident…media showed the video by concocting it,” Paswan said in Patna today. He, however, added, “My way of seeking details of the incident might not be right but my intention was to help them.” He also highlighted his own Dalit background to wriggle out of the controversy and said in a veiled criticism of media that “one can portray a Dalit in anyway they like”. Police have registered an FIR against the Principal, Warden and a night guard of the residential school with Sadar police station of Vaishali. Superintendent of Police of Vaishali Rakesh Kumar said Warden Sanju and night guard Mohammad Kaiser have been arrested in connection with the case and police have interrogated several people. PTI