A team from the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday met the family members of the 50-year-old anganwadi worker, who was gangraped and brutally murdered allegedly by a temple priest and two others, and expressed dissatisfaction over the police action in the case.
Member Chandramukhi Devi, who arrived there on Wednesday night after the NCW took note of the incident, met officials and took stock of the action taken in this connection. She also visited the village of the deceased and met her family members.
During her visit, the NCW member told the reporters, "Even if she is under pressure from someone, a woman should keep track of time and should not venture out late. I wonder if the victim had not gone out alone in the evening, or gone with a family member, she could have been saved."
After the video went viral on the internet and Devi was panned by netizens, she withdrew her statement.
Reacting to the same, actress Pooja Bhatt took to Twitter and wrote, "Respected @NCWIndia @sharmarekha Do you stand by this statement by your representative in context to the Badaun rape case. Kindly clarify if you agree with your representative that the victim was at fault for stepping out to visit a temple unaccompanied and at the time she did."
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma strongly condemned Chandramukhi Devi's statement.
Replying to Bhatt's tweet, she wrote, "No I don't..I don't know how and why the member has said this but women have all the right move on their will whenever and wherever they want to. It's society and state's duty to make places safe for women."
Earlier, Bhatt had condemned the gruesome incident of the alleged gangrape and murder of a 50-year-old woman in Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
Expressing her concern, Pooja wrote in a separate tweet: "We seem to care as little about humans-women in particular as we do about animals. The laws against all forms of violence need to become more stringent. All this suppressed anger and frustration that permeates society is manifesting in vile, horrific ways."
"When will this violence against women end? This is sickening to say the least. Is there no place in our country, especially in UP, where a woman is safe?" Pooja tweeted.
(With inputs from agencies)
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