The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the reported torture and murder of a 21-year-old medical student from Keralam in Uzbekistan. The Commission expressed grave concern over allegations of physical assault, harassment and attempted forced religious conversion preceding her death.
The NCW has written to the Director General of Police, Keralam, seeking an expeditious investigation, coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Tashkent, preservation of evidence, and comprehensive support for the bereaved family.
The Commission has sought an Action Taken Report from the Kerala DGP within seven days. The NCW has also requested the Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan to extend all necessary assistance and coordinate with the concerned authorities to facilitate the legal process and ensure effective cooperation in the matter.
Pertinently, Kerala Police have registered a murder case following a complaint by her family, who allege she was brutally assaulted before her death.The FIR was filed at Haripad police station on Wednesday after the victim's parents approached the District Police Chief, officials said. A postmortem examination was also conducted at Alappuzha Medical College as part of the investigation.
Kayamkulam Dy SP Binukumar said that the Kerala Police can legally register a case even though the alleged crime took place outside India."Even though the crime occurred in Uzbekistan, there are provisions to register a case here. If the police there prosecute the accused, we will close the case. If no legal action is taken there, we will pursue the case further," he said.
Police said they will coordinate with authorities in Uzbekistan through the Indian Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs to understand the status of the investigation there.According to Binukumar, reports indicate that the accused has already been taken into custody."There are reports that the accused has been arrested there. We will proceed through the Ministry of External Affairs to obtain details of the case and the action being taken by the authorities in Uzbekistan," Binukumar said.
The victim's family, however, wants the investigation to go beyond Uzbekistan. They have urged Kerala Police to probe the case independently and are demanding that the accused be brought back to India.The accused, a fellow medical student from Malappuram who studied with the victim in Uzbekistan, has been accused of killing her after allegedly striking her on the head during an argument.But the family has strongly challenged that account. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, relatives said the victim's body had multiple injuries, suggesting she had been subjected to prolonged violence.
A family member who travelled to Uzbekistan to bring her body home claimed investigators there told him she had been tortured before she died.He further alleged that investigators informed him several students had seen the accused pressuring the victim to convert her religion.
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