"I have decided to approach the Patna High Court for justice to my daughter. I am proud of her and will seek justice for her," Kumud Mishra told IANS here Friday.

Mishra said she will file the writ petition in the high court Monday. "We have no faith in the state police's investigation in the case because Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has already given clean chit to Kesri and described Rupam as a blackmailer while other leaders of the ruling BJP have called my daughter mentally retarded," she said.

Rupam had alleged Kesri and his close colleagues had raped her for three years.

Mishra said that her daughter did what an exploited woman would have done to teach her tormentor a lesson. "I urge all women not only in Bihar but across India, particularly those who have been exploited, to come forward to support Rupam Pathak and raise their voice against exploitation. It is high time all women fought against injustice and exploitation," she said.

Mishra said that she has already submitted a petition at the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and the State Women's Commission seeking justice for her daughter.

She has also petitioned the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women, as well as several other organisations working for democratic rights and justice.

Mishra, a resident of Brahmapur village in Naugachchia in Bhagalpur district, said she would demand an appointment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to apprise him of the truth.

She said her daughter, who was a postgraduate in Hindi and also had a B.Ed degree, knocked the doors of many police officers but nobody helped her because of the political pressure. "Had justice been delivered to her, she would not have taken such action," Mishra said.

She said Rupam was staying with her husband and two children in Manipur before she started a school in Purnea in 2006. Her husband still is a principal at a public school in Imphal.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), have demanded a judicial inquiry into the case.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

But the deputy chief minister has ruled out both the options, though some BJP leaders and legislators are also in favour of a CBI probe.

Comment

comments...

Today one more news came that Husband of Rupam Pathak has confirmed the allegations made by Rupam on the MLA. I fear now even her husband would now be falsely implicated into some bizzare case and put into police custody for "Investigation". Sushil Kumar Modi and Kesari are emerging like villians everyday. They are creating Rathore story in Bihar. And dear CM Nitish Kumar keeping shameless silence like Dhritrastra. Modi has been misuising the police machinery to make things in his favor, ruining life of all those who are supporting Rupam and know the truth. He was never asked to apologize by anyone including the CM. How can he assasinate the character of a lady? How can he call her Blackmailer or mentally ill? how does he know this much? Definately Sushil Modi is emerging like another DGP Rathore. If such people are governning the state, one can imagine well the fate of common men and "women" there. The probe must be done by some body who could not be influenced politicially. CBI is OK but sametime congress can use it to set its politicial score to gain mileage against Nitish Kumar. But public will not spare anyone if justice is denied to Rupam and story of her suffering no matter how much Suhsil Modi tries to conceal it by means of misusing his influence and power.

Ravi Shankar