New Delhi: Kurshid Anwar, the executive director of Institute for Social Democracy (ISD) had committed suicide by jumping off the terrace of his fourth floored residential building of Vasant Kunj on Wednesday.
It is said that 55-year old Kurshid Anwar was unable to bear the mark of being rape accused and committed suicide.
Notify that a case had been registered under IPC 376 and 328 against Anwar on Tuesday by Delhi Police, alleging for rape with a 24-year-old volunteer student who was working with an NGO which was associated with ISD in September of 2013.
Police official said, “He has written three pages in Hindi including a poem. It is not dated and is thus not clear when was it written. Even though he has mentioned about the allegation, he has neither accepted nor denied it. He has written a few names but without accusing or putting them in any context. The printouts were lying on the printer.”
Wife of Anwar had claimed that her husband was framed in a false case. She said, “He had been framed in a false case of rape. Though we filed a defamation case against the people concerned, somehow the news was leaked to the media. This character assassination was too much for him to cope with and led to his demise.”
Even though the rape victim did not make any police complaint, her friends convinced her to record a video statement with an activist Madhu Kishwar, who after delay of many weeks raised the issue with National Commission for Women. NCW directed Delhi police to take action and subsequently a case was registered.
Madhu Kishwar said over the suicide incident, “I am saddened and shocked by the death of the accused. This will also add to the trauma victim is suffering from.”
A group of civil society members stated, “We are shocked at the manner in which a section of the electronic media and the social media vilified Khurshid Anwar, social activist and writer with regard to an allegation of rape against him, causing him to commit suicide. The allegation was never investigated by either the police, (there was no FIR) or any statutory body resulting in him being completely denied the opportunity of being heard or the allegation fairly investigated.”
Bureau Report
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