In October 2021, a model and 2016 Miss India finalist, Rajkanya Baruah, allegedly injured eight PWD roadside workers in Guwahati while driving, also leading to one fatality.
Reports claimed that the model was driving her car at high speed and in an inebriated condition.
While her trial is currently pending before the Gauhati High Court with no final judgement yet, Ms. Baruah has recently stated that she has been "harassed by local media houses on a monthly basis" and should be entitled to a fair trial.
This alleged 'hit and run' case involved a range of controversies. Issues reported ranged from Ms. Baruah's violation of the pandemic curfew restrictions to her physical state. Additionally, the model's release within 24 hours on bail also raised concerns.
The model's recent reaction on Instagram came as a response to a 3000+ word article published by a local media house. Baruah mentioned she would be filing an injunction, "which we should have done a long time back."
With no intention of "slamming" the said organisation, she claimed that her posts were not an exposé but a "cry for help". She also spoke to the journalist concerned regarding the matter, but clarified that she had not had the time to "sit with her and restructure and edit the entire article she wrote."
The model, through her Instagram posts, has now raised various questions regarding the media's reporting related to her case. She stated "My fundamental right to a fair trial is obstructed, wrong information calling me drunk, hit and run, the sole responsible for an accident causing death, framing me for homicide and what nots."
She goes on to ask "If the law is equal, why am I being denied a fair trial, why are the newspapers hounding me by making me responsible and asking questions for justice not being served for 3 years since."
Ms. Baruah went on to state "The truth is long and cannot be shared here. Whatever statement I share will have to go through advocates also since I am still under trail and anything I say could be used in the court later and implicate my case negatively."
