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Rohan Dua, TNN | Jun 15, 2014,

CHANDIGARH: Sirsa-based rape survivor, who has accused Union minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers Nihal Chand Meghwal of sexually exploiting her, has now alleged that she is being intimidated to withdraw her case.

“Frightening visitors” told her uncle on Friday night that unless the case is withdrawn, development funds would dry up in her village in Sirsa after assembly elections if BJP and INLD join hands and come to power in the state.

She has also accused the minister’s kin of visiting her village and asking her to accept a government job and forget the case or face ostracization by the villagers.

The 21-year-old, who broke down several times while narrating her tale, alleged that in the past 48 hours local BJP and INLD leaders and several villagers have told her family to drop the charges against the minister. She will be filing a police complaint soon.

Nihal Chand did not respond to calls made by TOI. He did not respond to text messages either.

“They say that it was certain I would never get married again, but I should allow them to live peacefully,” the survivor told TOI. “One leader has been telling us that I must take up a job with a monthly salary of Rs 50,000 or supplies to our home will be taken away. Villagers have begun spreading rumours that development work in our village would stop after the Haryana polls.”

Nihal Chand is the lone MP from Rajasthan to get a berth in Narendra Modi’s council of ministers. A lower court on Thursday issued summons to 17 people, including him in a sexual assault case.

The court order came following a revision petition by the survivor at the metropolitan magistrate’s court. She has accused her husband and his friends, including the minister, of sexually exploiting her. The survivor alleged that Nihal Chand raped her at least thrice at three different locations.

“According to our tradition, a newly-married bride is expected to deliver a baby after 9 months of marriage. I got married in December 2010 and for the next nine months I remained just an object of lust of these powerful men,” she said. “My husband, a BJP Yuva Morcha member, took me to a number of houses and hotels where I was exploited.”

Read more here – http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Union-ministers-kin-intimidating-me-Sirsa-rape-survivor/articleshow/36575137.cms