Five convicted for kidnapping Dalit teen in Aligarh case after 19 years
A special court sentenced five men to life imprisonment for abducting a Dalit teenager in 2007, a case that left the girl missing for nearly two decades.
In Aligarh’s Barhad village, a court under the SC/ST Act convicted five accused of kidnapping a Dalit teenager in 2007, handing down life sentences for the crime. Judge Pratibha Saxena ruled the abduction was a deliberate effort to prevent the girl from testifying in her own rape case, though the survivor has never been found. The family, informed only after the ruling by a newspaper, expressed mixed relief and ongoing grief, noting the loss of their daughter, the death of their husband Pramod in 2020, and the sale of their land and livestock.
One accused was acquitted, prompting the younger brother Rakesh Jatav to call for further justice. Legal counsel Ismail Khan recounted that after the initial arrest and bail, the perpetrators allegedly forced a second abduction to block court appearance. Police records show no breakthrough in locating the missing girl, and officials note that a person missing for seven years may be presumed dead under law, though no formal declaration has been made.
Why it matters
The case highlights persistent challenges in delivering justice for marginalized victims and the long-term impact on their families.
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