Engineering college in Pithoragarh to be named after ‘little Nirbhaya’

PITHORAGARH: The state government has passed an order to rename Seemant engineering college in the district after a minor rape victim, said HC Semwal, district magistrate of Pithoragarh.
VK Singh, director of the college talking to TOI said, “We have received the government order to rename the college after ‘Little Nirbhaya’. Soon, her name will appear on all official documents pertaining to the college.”
The seven-year-old, who had accompanied her family from Pithoragarh to a wedding in Haldwani went missing on November 20, 2014, from the Ramleela ground at Haldwani.The body of the girl was found after five days of intense search from a forest near the Sheeshmahal gate on November 25.
A post-mortem report confirmed rape. The brutal nature of the crime sent shock waves throughout the region and led to widespread protests, with citizens demanding justice for the girl termed ‘Little Nirbhaya’.
At that time, the state government had assured the minor’s parents that a prominent education institution will be named in honour of her, and after two years that promise was fulfilled.
A team of Haldwani district police and special task force acted swiftly and within a few days arrested the main accused, Akhtar Ali, 35, from Ludhiana on the basis of electronic surveillance. Two other accused, Prem Pal,32, and Poksi alias Junior Masih, 35, were arrested from Kathgodam area of Haldwani.
On March 12, 2016 a special POCSO court in Haldwani sent Ali to the gallows and awarded five years' imprisonment to another accused. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 to the convicts.