My name is
Dulari, 28, and my husband is Ram Surat. I live with my family in the village
Rup Ghausia, post Sahijan kalan, police station Robertsganj district
Sonebhadra. By caste I am Ghasia, a scheduled tribe. I have four sons and three
daughters. It is with hard work and in great difficulty we are able to earn our
daily bread and feed our children.
The
incident took place at 8 am on January 9, 2012 when my husband came back from
Lucknow by train. He had come back after performance at a programme “Rhythm of
North India.” Cops entered our house at around 8.30 am and they were ten of
them. I got afraid when I first saw them as they immediately started asking
where was Ram Surat. I asked them what “was the matter gentlemen” but instead
of giving response four of them started beating me, they kicked me with boots
and abused me with the worst of abuses. Hearing me cry my husband, who was
sleeping, came out and shielded me by covering me but the cops continued
beating both of us.
Then they
took my husband dragging till the fields while I was crying and screaming. I
was pregnant then by nine months and could not even walk properly. I again
asked the cops why they were dragging my husband in such a manner as he had
returned back from Lucknow a few minutes before. The cops beat me up, abused me
and threatened me to go away. I could cling to my husband and
pleaded the cops to leave him. I asked them where were they taking my husband
but instead of giving a reply they continued beating him up at the fields and
then turned towards me. They threw me on the ground with a bad thump and four
of them kicked me in my stomach.
I was
pregnant by nine months then. As the kick touched my skin I screamed out of
pain as if someone had taken soul out of my body. I pleaded them with folded
hands to let me go but my cries landed on deaf ears. All the cops and their
senior officers could see I was pregnant but they paid no attention this fact
and continued beating me though any untoward incident could have happened with
me. They showed no mercy upon me. Two of them hit me hard on my abdomen and
that kick resulted in to severe pain and uneasiness. The baby came out of the
kick that cops gave me again and again. The baby was premature. There was blood
all around and with blood on my entire body I was feeling unconscious. I don’t
really knew what happened to the child at that time as I was near total
unconscious and was surrounded by cops then. Perhaps the day was a a history that
delivery was happening in presence of the cops surrounding a woman. The
protectors were there as demons for the mother and the child.
In the
entire episode when I was screaming in pain some of the neighbourhood women
came to help and pleaded before what they had done by risking the lives of both
mother and the child. They said both of us should be taken to hospital. After
my father made a phone call two human rights workers came and I along with my
child were taken to hospital. Some of the cops also then said I and the child
be taken to hospital but their Circle Officer said I should not be taken to
hospital neither the child and no one should take them to hospital. He had
asked the doctors that none from Raup Ghasia basti be given any treatment. The
government hospital doctors made excuses that FIR be first lodged before
treatment and I was crying in pain. They were not moved with my screams. My
family thought my child will not survive hence they brought us back home. Then
with donation from villagers I was taken to a private hospital and somehow the
child was saved.
Having
suffered major blood loss due to delay in treatment and wandering from one
place to another in pain I was unconcious completely when I reached hospital. I
thought it was the last day of my life. On the one side I was afraid about my
husband and my child thinking what cops might have done with my husband and
when I regained senses I asked about my child and my husband. The
basti people told me cops had taken my husband to Robertsganj police station.
Even today it gives me chills when I remember that day of my life. I used to
remain afraid every moment after that incident. I used to fear cops might come
anytime and beat up me and my husband and put us in jail. Me and my family
members fear for that incident. I went to Robertsganj police station but none
of the cops listened to me and then I went to senior officials including the SP
but could not get justice even there. Now even the neighbours have started
making joke on us despite we remain afraid all the time. But having told you
all this I feel relaxed as no body had ever asked me about the incident like
this in details. Having talked to you hope for justice has come to me.
