Nitin Leetul Gogoi incident takes political turn, girl’s family faces brunt

Over the last 24 hours, a tiny tin shanty has been at the centre of unwanted attention as the couple's daughter was briefly detained with Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi in a Srinagar hotel by the police.

Unable to come to the grips with the situation, the family has sent the girl to her maternal uncle's home to avoid the media glare.

"She left home for bank to deposit money from the self-help group on Wednesday morning. It was not the first time that she was going to the bank. She had been visiting the bank since she became a member of the self-help group two-three months ago," said her mother. However, they received the shocking news on Wednesday afternoon when the sarpanch knocked at their door. "He had received a call from the police about the girl. Later, her uncle rushed to Srinagar to bring her back," added the mother of three.

Fearing tension in the village, the girl was directly taken to her maternal uncle's home. "I have not seen her since yesterday. My husband went to meet her today. We are unable to understand what has happened," she said.

While the girl's father is a daily-wage labourer, the girl is a student who also works as a handicraft artisan. Three months ago, she became a member of a self-help group to earn some money. "After she failed in the matriculation examination, she joined this group. We want justice," said the mother.

Meanwhile on Thursday, both human shield victim Farooq Ahmad Dar and human rights activist Mohommad Ahsan Untoo staged a silent sit-in at Srinagar, demanding Major Gogoi's arrest. The issue has also taken a political turn with Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Geelani demanding an impartial probe by some international agencies.