Having taken suo motu cognisance of news reports about the expulsion of a rape victim from a school in latur district of Maharashtra, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued a notice to State Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) and district collector seeking factual reports on the incident within four weeks.
The NHRC also sent a copy of the proceedings and media reports relating to the incident to the Union Defence Secretary and sought his response within four weeks about initiating departmental action the Army official involved in the alleged rape of the school.
Simultaneously, the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission (MSWC) took serious cognizance of the expulsion of the rape victim girl from the school and directed the latur police to submit a detailed report on the incident.
News reports emanating from latur had said that the 15-year-old victim girl, studying in 11th standard, had allegedly been raped by an Indian Army soldier on the pretext of marriage. The Army man, who had visited the victim girl’s native village during his vacation in April this year, allegedly had sex with her after promising her marriage, but later abandoned her.
Following the incident, the victim girl went to the local police station some time in August this year to lodge a complaint against the army man. However, the police allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 as bribe to register a complaint. Subsequently, the victim girl latur's Superintendent of Police (SP) Shivaji Rathor and an FIR came to be registered on Sunday.
On Monday, the school in which the victim was studying in the 11th standard suspended her from the school on the ground that the matter had reached the police and that the institution’s reputation would be tarnished if she continued to study there. The school authorities asked the victim girl take her school leaving certificate and go, after the police visited the institutions for investigations into the incident.
Taking cognisance of media reports about the manner in which the rape victim was expelled from the school and the harassment she faced at the hands of the police when she went to lodge a complaint, the NHRC issued notices to both the state authorities seeking a factual report on the incident and the Union Defence Secretary seeking departmental action against the Army official involved in the incident.
“The Commission has observed that going by the contents of the media reports the attitude of the local police authorities and the school administration appears to be highly sadistic and unethical,” a statement issued by the NHRC said.
“The Commission by way of its proceedings while considering such complaints and during its other activities has strongly expressed that the victims of sexual assault are to be dealt with utmost care in a sensible manner with an approach to help them overcome the trauma,” the NHRC said.
Upbraiding both the police officer who allegedly demanded bribe for registering a complaint and the school authorities who expelled her from their institution post haste, the NHRC said: “The concerned police officer has acted in a heartless manner. The school authorities, instead of taking steps to counsel and support the victim, have decided to expel her from the school in the name of the reputation of the institution. This is a case of grave violation of human rights of the victim”.
Meanwhile, the school authorities have denied the allegation that they had expelled the rape victim from the school and claimed that the victim’s family had told them that the girl had decided to leave on her own as she felt “traumatised” by the incident.
Talking to media persons in Mumbai, MSWC Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar that she had directed the latur Police to submit a detailed status report on the entire matter on top priority. She said that a (MSWC) a team would soon meet the victim girl and her family members..
In a related development, Congress MlA from latur Amit Deshmukh, son of late chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, has offered all help to the victim in her quest for justice.