‘One rapist asked what caste, other said why ask, both are Muslim’

The victims, who police said had not been willing to undergo medical examination, have undergone the procedure at Dufferin Hospital.

Some men have been picked up on suspicion, but Circle Officer Rahul Srivastava said they could be arrested only after the victims have identified them.

Allahabad DIG G.L. Meena said on Saturday, “We have a preliminary medical report and rape can be confirmed only after the pathological reports are available tomorrow.”

The girls told The Sunday Express they had been willing to record statements, but madarsa manager Wasiullah, brother of Varanasi blast accused Waliullah, had held them back. He said: “I was reluctant because it was a matter of the girls’ izzat.”

Trembling in fear, the two girls spoke of their ordeal.

They said they were dragged away and raped for two hours in a field about half a kilometre from the madarsa and then dropped back

“While leaving us back, one of them said, ‘Salaam, phir milenge 22 ko!’” said one of the victims.

They said one of their assailants had asked them what caste they were, but then another remarked, “Why ask? They are all Musalmanin.”

The mother of one of the victims said she does not trust the SHO of Kareli police station, Rajesh Kumar Singh, under whose jurisdiction the madarsa falls.

She said, “He had asked me what work my husband does, and when I told him he teaches namaaz and gets Rs 1,000 a month, he said, ‘Send him to me, I will get him a job, but take your complaint back.’”

“But I told him that my only daughter’s life is ruined, I don’t need a job and will not take my complaint back,” she said. Senior police officiers in Allahabad said the rape section was inserted in the FIR on the intervention of DIG Meena.

Standing outside the police station on Saturday were the family members of the eight people detained for interrogation. They said the men were picked up by police just like that.

... contd.