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Name of the Child : Leah Digal
Age : 3 years
Religion : Christian
Caste : SC
Education : Goes to Anganwadi center in the village
Name of the Village : Badagoan, Balliguda
Background and Summary of the Case:
Leah Digal, aged 3yrs, daughter of Samson Digal and Pushpita Digal of Bodagam village under Balliguda police station of Kandhamal District was sexually assaulted on 17.10.2012 by arrested Raghu Digal, 35 years, Bodagam village, of Balliguda police station.
It was during the Durga Puja time on 17th October, 2012 when the parents had gone for work and she was in the house with her grandmother. Then her Uncle (distant relative) came home when she was playing and took her by hand, her grandmother did not object as he is a part of the family. He took her to nearby forest, raped her, and left her alone in the forest. When her parents came back home they did not see her so inquired from the grandmother, she told them that her uncle has taken her outside. The family started searching for her everywhere and finally they heard her cry from the nearby forest and rescued her. When she came back home she could not walk properly and she had pain in her private parts. So her mother asked her that what had happened so then with actions she explained the mother what uncle had done with her. Her parents then took her for a medical examination. After the incident, the victim child is taken to Balliguda hospital for check up and treatment. The doctor recommended for forensic test. The matter was informed to the village committee but the accused person did not confess his offence rather he filed a counter case against the parent of the victim. Raghu is unmarried and lives with his mother.
According to the suggestion of village committee, the mother of the victim child lodged a complaint against Raghu Digal on 20.10.2012 at Balliguda police station, which was registered as case no 99/2012 under section 376 (2) ( 1) of IPC.
Brief Details of the Incident:
Jayagalla Sunitha (22) SC Madiga by caste, is a native of Aloor , Chevella Mandal, Rangareddy District. She is the younger daughter of Anthaiah and Late Padmamma. Her elder sister is married. Sunitha is physically handicapped and both feet are crippled, hence she has difficulty in walking. She started doing a private job after her sister got married. Later she happened to meet one Mr Raghavender (32) BC Gowd by caste of the same village. His parents Anasuja and Ananthaiah are marginal farmers. Raghavender and Sunitha soon fell in love. Sunitha helped financially to Raghavender while he was studying B.Ed. Their love went on well for 3 years and they both got married on 12/06/2014 in Yadagirigutta. On the same day they moved to a rented house in Vikarabad.
On the same day evening i.e., on 12th June he went for marriage looks and saw Santosha of his caste. He married Santhosha on 22/6/2014 and continued to live with both of them without the knowledge of Sunitha. On 28/8/2014 he got job as Railway Track Man at Marpalli. Later Sunitha came to know about his second marriage and questioned him. Raghavender Gowd convinced Sunitha that he would also take care of her along with other wife. He shifted Sunitha to Mominpet from Vikarabad in January 2015. He rented separate rooms for both the wives. Santosha, his second wife became pregnant and since then he slowly began to avoid Sunitha and started quarrelling for petty issues. On 4/4/15 as Sunitha was not feeling well she asked him to take her to hospital but he unnecessarily beat her up a lot and went to his job. Sunitha had severe bleeding, hence made a phone call to Raghavendar and informed about her bleeding. He came and gave Rs 1000/- for medical expenses and simply went away and since then he has not returned back. Unable to bear the agony and his negligent attitude towards her she complained in the Chevella PS. Then Raghavender’s family members threatened Sunitha that they would commit suicide if she didn’t withdraw the case. Sunitha was convinced to withdraw her complaint stating that her husband would look after well. The same day he left her again at their room in Mominpet and went away. Then Sunitha informed the entire matter to her father and later they approached Vikarabad SP and Women Police station, but in vain. DSS women collective of Alur took up the issue conducted a fact finding and got the case registered on 12/05/15 at Chevella PS.
Interventions:
State Actors Approached:
Present Status of the Case:
Payal Digal, Aged 13 yrs, Daughter of Madan Digal
Religion: Christian, Caste: SC,
Educational status: 7th Std,
Name of the village : Tiangia
Payal is the third child of her parents. She has two elder brothers and a younger sister. Her parents are wage laborers and reside in a rented house in Kalingavihar, Bhubaneswar. She was doing her schooling in kandhamal district. She belongs to minority dalit Christian category. During the Pooja holidays she was staying in her grandmother’s house in Tiangia. On 24th October, 2012 along with her aunt she went to see a drama organized in a temple at Raikia. After attending the temple festival celebration, she was returning along with her aunt to her uncle’s house at Raikia. While she was waiting for her aunt, 6 men approached her and took her to a nearby bush and raped her (three of them were adults and the other three were minor boys). They did not file the complaint immediately because of fear and stigma as well as the security reasons. The accused seemed to be released after detaining sometimes. The accused are from upper caste Hindus.
Mental Health of the girl: She was under a trauma after the incident, she looked stunt and emotionless. Her mental health has been affected badly after undergoing this traumatic experience. She could not even express her feelings. She was sent for counseling therapy and it helped her to express herself to some extent. Odisha Forum for Social Action, a voluntary organization facilitated Psycho-therapy by a professional psycho-therapist. She clarified all her doubts and concerns with regard to her physical health and about her future. It helped her to come out from her anxieties and fears to greater extent. After the psycho therapy she could identify her talents and coping capacity. She seemed to be pleasant, motivated, determined to face the future and her self confidence also has been increased. The therapist said that the child obtains high level of coping and decision making capacity, which will enable her to reintegrate herself completely to the mainstream. She needs constant handholding and counseling too.
Status of the Case: The child was brought to women police station at Bhubaneswar. Since the Circle Inspector had gone for a meeting, the family could not lodge the complaint. From there the child was taken to child right commission and produced her before the chair-person. She was very cold and passive in her approach and asked us to file the complaint at the police station, then to produce the child before the commission. She did not attend the child with empathy. Later the child was brought to the police station; she was made to sit in the police station for 6 hours for registering the case. When the Inspector in Charge came at 8.30 pm she forwarded the complaint to Raikia police station, without registering the FIR. The following day we produced the child before Mr. P.L. Puniya, the chair person of the SC commission and Ms. Latha Priya Kumar, Honorable member of SC Commission. The commission forwarded the case to the police station and then they registered the case at Bhubaneswar women police station. Immediately the police took initiatives to take the child for medical examination. The IIC wrote a letter to Deputy Commissioner of Police and to Khurdha collectorate for compensation and education, but till today there is no action has been taken with regard to compensation and education for the child.
After the intervention of the commission, the Raikia police arrested 4 accused persons (1 adult and 3 minor) and the other two accused are still absconding. The child was brought from Bhubaneswar by police escort to Raikia for spot investigation, and the child identified the place. Second time she was brought to G. Udayagiri for TI (Test in Identification) parade. Among 4 people she identified 3 of them. Along with Odisha Forum for Social Action, Bhubaneswar the child went to khudha collectorate for compensation and rehabilitation. The status is not known on the compensation issue. The victim survivor is yet to be assisted in anyway. Nothing has come forward.
At present the child is enrolled in a convent school at Bhubaneswar and staying in private run hostel. The family is very poor and finds it very difficult to pay the school and hostel fees of the child.
Kabita Digal, aged 13 years, daughter of Bipin and Antajini Digal of Dadadamaha village under Daringibadi police station of Kandhamal district was gang raped and murdered on 26.10.2012 by arrested Ankur Pradhan, a minor of Dadadamaha village and Udhab Pradhani and Bharata Pradhani of Suluma village of Daringibadi police station.
The incident occurred during Durgapuja festive week on 26.10.2012 on the way to Simonbadi at about 11.00 PM while Kabita was going to witness an entertainment programme ogranised for Durga puja festival. He was accompanied by her 10 year old cousin Hebal Digal. Simonbadi is about 1 and half Kms away from Dadadamaha. On the following morning, the passer by saw the dead body of Kabita was lying on the road side between Simonbadi and Dadadamaha. The family members and the villagers rushed to the spot and identified Kabita’s body. The medical report confirms that Kabita was gang raped and murdered. Her body was lying naked with lots of injuries on private parts, throat and chest. A case is registered against the accused bearing no 77/12 under the section IPC-376/302 at Daringibadi police station.
Presently, the family lives under trauma and fear. Supported by NGO workers, the parents of the deceased received Rs.10,000 towards the funeral from the Redcross Fund.
Priyanka Nayak, aged 5 years, daughter of Fakir Nayak of Colony Sahi of Gundurigaon village under Sarangada police station of Kandhamal district was raped by another minor boy Balia Nayak aged 16 years of same village on 13.11.2012.
The incidence occurred at about 11.00 am while Priyanka was playing with other kids of same village on the street. Balia Nayak called her to his house by alluring her to give chocolates and started to rape her. When the child begun to cry, the mother of the child rushed to the spot and rescued her. The parent rushed to the police station and lodged FIR on the same day. The child was taken to district medical for test and treatment. The medical report confirms that there was a minor injury in the private part of the child. A case is registered and accused is summoned to the police station and later he was brought to the District Juvenile committee, which granted him bail.
Presently, the family lives under trauma and fear, the parents are having psychological burden of social stigma due to rape and the victim child is not allowed to play with other kids. The victim and its family are treated differently by the villagers.
Supported by NGO workers, the matter was informed to the Sub collector for providing financial compensation and educational support to the victim by admitting her in the government hostel to begin her studies. The sub collector supported only Rs.5000 towards victim’s treatment and told that the government has no provision of hostel facility for her study as the victim belongs to Christian minority community.