Kotkhai: Residents of Kotkhai, who had cordoned off a police station after the custodial death of an accused in the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl at Kotkhai, today threatened to boycott the upcoming Assembly polls.

Kotkhai: Residents of Kotkhai, who had cordoned off a police station after the custodial death of an accused in the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl at Kotkhai, today threatened to boycott the upcoming Assembly polls.

When the accused are not safe in police custody, what would happen to the general public, said Neelam, a senior citizen. “We are afraid of sending our daughters to study or for work. Why should we elect our representatives when our daughters are not safe, the accused are murdered in police custody and statements are changed,” she questioned.

The protestors threatened to boycott the polls if the investigations were not handed over to the CBI immediately and justice was given to the victim. “We want peace to return to the apple belt,” said Satish Hemta, a local.

He said the incident had shamed the state and the cops were trying to “hush-up the case” and now the evidences were being “destroyed”.

He said the villagers were not ready to believe the story of the police. “We want to know where are the suspects whose photographs were uploaded on the Chief Minister’s Facebook page. How come everything changed overnight and poor Nepalese and Pauri Garhwal labourers were framed in the case,” he said.

However, the case also provided a chance to the locals to settle their personal scores with the police. Kamla, an elderly woman, who threw a stone on a constable, said she could only hit the constable once, adding he needed more thrashing. “This is the same guy who wrote false statements in the divorce case of my son and daughter-in-law and spoilt our case,” she added.

A few youths were on the frontline eyeing a chance to settle their scores. Pointing to a policeman, one of the agitators said: “He was the one who nabbed us last month”.