HC awards Rs 50,000 interim compensation to sexual abuse victims
| Date :23-Apr-2019 |
Legal Correspondent:
State CID to take over Rajura tribal girls’ sexual abuse case investigation
Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Monday awarded an interim compensation of Rs 50,000 each to six sexually abused minor scheduled tribe girls with Infant Jesus English Public School, Rajura. The compensation has been awarded as per the provision made for this purpose in the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The amount will be credited to bank accounts of their mothers within four days, but can not be withdrawn without High Court’s permission. Meanwhile, the State Government has decided to transfer the probe of this shocking incident to State CID. The new agency will take over the probe in next three-four days. Chandrapur Superintendent of Police is personally supervising the investigations and five suspects have been arrested. So far police team could reach out to 21 inmates of the residential hostel. Six of them have disclosed about sexual assault and their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure are recorded.
A division bench consisting of Justice Z A Haq and Justice Vinay Joshi while hearing a criminal writ petition filed by Jyotsna Shantaram Kodape and two other women labourers, who belong to Gond and Pardhan - recognised Scheduled Tribes, bringing to the notice of the Court plight of hapless inmates subjected to abuse by predators, allowed to join the School Management as party-respondent. The High Court also sought the State Government to file affidavit by April 25 pointing out its decision in the matter of taking over Management of the concerned school and residential hostel. The Superintendent of Police Chandrapur has also been asked to file an affidavit regarding progress in investigations by next date. The petition has highlighted the sorry tale of minor tribal girls and their plight at the hands of police and the hospital authorities for lodging reports and getting required treatment including medical examination. These girls are in the age group of 11 to 13 years and are studying in 5th 6th and 7th standards. There are about 150 minor girls - all belonging to the Scheduled Tribes, in the said School. According to the petition, there are about 18 girls, who have been so abused.
These tribal girls live in the accommodation provided by the school management. On April 18, the High Court had formed a committee headed by the District Judge-2, Chandrapur, S S Ansari which submitted its first report to the High Court in a sealed envelope. The High Court had allowed the panel to take appropriate decision in respect of 13 other minor girls who are suspected victims, but whose parents have not given their willingness for medical examination of those girls. In his affidavit, submitted to the High Court, the Superintendent of Police, Chandrapur, has intimated that prima facie this case appeared to be one of sexual abuse, hence he started probe through a special team. Now, he has received instructions from the State Director General of Police to transfer the investigations to the State CID and this will be done within next few days.
The High Court had already directed the Collector and SP Chandrapur to take over immediately the supervision of the concerned school and the premises where the girl students of the School reside. These two officers were directed not to permit any private party including the office-bearers of the institutions to interfere with the administration of the institutions. Advocate Firdos Mirza appeared for the petitioners. APP Tahsin Ahmed Mirza represented the State.