Even after six months of the rape and murder of minor Dalit girl in Ujiarpur block of Samastipur on 23 September, 2022, there was no progress in the police investigation and the accused were not arrested. Neither any action was taken against the SHO for attempting to sabotage the case. Protesting against the cover-up by administration and demanding justice, a massive bandh was organised by CPIML in Samastipur district on April 4. The bandh was organised on the 9th day an indefinite hunger strike, had been going on since March 27 at the Police Superintendent's office demanding justice. Victim’s mother had also joined the hunger strike.
The bandh witnessed hundreds, with banners, flags and festoons marching from Malgodam Chowk to the DMs residence. Main road remained blocked. By shutting down shops, vehicles, schools, offices, the residents of the district gave their whole-hearted support to the Bandh. The powerful bandh forced the administration to shake up and promised to initiate actions against the accused and the SHO.
The incident of rape and murder had shocked the whole of Bihar. The father of the victim belonging to Tatma caste, worked as a daily wage worker in Delhi to repay the loan he had taken for the marriage of his elder daughter. The victim’s body hanging from a noose and there were wounds on her private parts and her body. Her leg was broken and there was slime smeared over her body. Her undergarment was choking her mouth and blood was oozing from her ears. The mother lodged a complaint of rape and murder in the police station against one Imteyaz alias Rinku who was on bail after 14 months on charge of a murder. She said that two days before the incident, the accused has threatened on mobile to rape Swati. Another person, Ruman Ahmad Sawri was also hand-in-glove with Imteyaz. The CPIML fact-finding team that visited the scene of crime that same day was told that Rinku had threatened other local girls as well.
The Ujiarpur Police Station incharge tried to underplay this ghastly crime. He did not even consider it necessary to conduct a viscera test during the post-mortem. Despite the names of the accused in the FIR, no arrests were made. In fact, the SHO has cordial relations with the main accused. The main accused in this crime Ruman Ahmed is the State Vice-President of the BJP's minority cell and another accused Imtiaz Ahmed is a notorious criminal. The way the local administration is standing in defence of these criminals, it was clear that there is pressure on it from the big leaders of BJP.
On October 9, 2022, a police station gherao was organised by CPIML and local villagers to protest against the attempts by police to sabotage justice. What happened at the police station was a display of criminals - police connivance. The CPIML leaders leading the gherao were attacked by goons who had been assembled at the police station to attack the protestors in a planned manner. In spite of the presence of women police, CPIML leader and ex-Chairperson of State women's Commission Manju Prakash was also attacked. It was planned to murder popular leader Phoolbabu Singh but the masses foiled the move.
