'After convicts freed, several Bilkis village residents have fled'

DAHOD: A resident of Randhikpur village in Gujarat's Dahod district, where Bilkis Bano was gang raped and seven members of her family killed during the 2002 riots, on Tuesday claimed many Muslims have left the village over safety concern following the release of the 11 life-term convicts.
Police have increased security in Randhikpur as the men released from the jail hail from a neighbouring village, but ruled out any exodus by villagers.
Shahrukh Sheikh, a resident of Randhikpur, said 70 Muslim families were living in fear and many others had moved out and started staying with their relatives in other areas. "We are scared. Several people have left the village out of fear of violence from the side of the convicts after their release. We have appealed to the collector to put the convicts behind bars and provide safety to the villagers," said Sheikh, who works as a daily wager.
In the memorandum ha- nded over to the Dahod DC on Monday, villagers spoke about fear saying many residents of Randhikpur are moving out while discontinuing their daily job.
Police said the convicts, who hail from a village near Randhikpur, were not present in the area but admitted that some villagers had left. "We have deployed police personnel at fixed points after talking to local people and intensified patrolling," said DSP RB Devdha. He said some villagers had left their homes and gone to live with their relatives in other towns. Police were in touch with the people in Randhikpur and addressing their concerns, the DSP said.