Those who lived to tell seek a voice and justice

Although she has recovered she is still in shock. Her husband, Pathan, another daughter and son also survived.

Pathan speaks for his wife. ‘‘She saw our daughter being raped and then assaulted with iron pipes and sticks. They caught hold of my wife and poured kerosene on her while raping Farhana,’’ says Pathan.

‘‘The police came to the hospital and recorded her statements. But we don’t have a copy of the complaint and have no idea what has happened to it,’’ says Pathan. He and his wife haven’t had the courage to approach the police, and continue to wait for someone to act on their complaint.

‘‘Where will we go to file complaints? I was occupied with my wife’s injuries. She was discharged after one-and-half months. My younger daughter’s hand is fractured,’’ he says, adding that he’s willing to give a statement if the police approach him.

Singh’s arrest has given a little hope to Pathan. ‘‘If they have arrested him, they should also arrest the others,’’ says Pathan, adding that his wife doesn’t know the names of the attackers but can identify them. ‘‘Others say they were people from the Hindu society behind us, but my wife says she hadn’t seen any of them before,’’ he says.