up in arms Members of Bihar Women’s Network address a news meet in Patna on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Jan. 7: Women organisations have demanded that the murder case of BJP MLA Rajkishore Keshari to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) within 24 hours.

The members of different organisations have said they would demonstrate at Dakbungalow roundabout on Saturday at 3pm if their demand was not met.

The members also went to the Katihar Medical College and Hospital today to meet Rupam Pathak, who stabbed Keshari on Tuesday, but were not allowed to meet her. Rupam, meanwhile, was moved from Katihar to Purnea court.

The members have also demanded the resignation of deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi because he was being partial to the slain MLA.

Member of Bihar Women’s Network, Neelu, said: “How can the deputy chief minister call Rupam a blackmailer or characterless when the investigation is not over? We have come to know that Modi was aware of Rupam’s harassment for the past three years. Once the investigation is conducted, involvement of many BJP leaders would be revealed.”

The activists wondered why the chief minister was not breaking his silence on the issue. Kalpana Ashok, the chairperson of Aao Bahina, said: “Rupam had been continuously tolerating sexual exploitation. A woman has tried to raise her voice against the people who had exploited her and now she is being prohibited from talking to anyone.”

On Modi, Kalpana said: “Modi is concerned over the protection of MLAs. But he is not at all worried about the only woman who raised her voice. She is also a citizen of the state and should be given equal importance.”

“Is there any guarantee that a woman would not be exploited by politicians in future?” she added.

Activists of All India Progressive Women’s Association had also gone to meet Rupam at the Purnea divisional jail where she is lodged. The activists said Rupam told them her agony had become unbearable for her and that is the reason she was compelled to take the step to kill Keshari.

Several women activists said they are afraid that Rupam would be declared mentally ill soon.

Convener of Parivartan Jan Andolan, Varsha said: “They can even kill Rupam. Journalist Navlesh Pathak, who tried to bring all the facts, has been arrested but Bipin Rai has still not been arrested. The CD which has all the facts can also be taken away from him and destroyed.”

Shivani Choudhary, the chairperson of Kamkaji Mahila Association, said: “All women organisations have come up and we are also getting calls from organisations based in Delhi.”