16-year-old Kashmiri, who was allegedly sold to three people and repeatedly gang-raped over months, alleges that Karjat police cast aspersions on her and refused to take any action in the case
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Pune: It was a fight with her mother that set the ball rolling, but the 16-year-old had no idea of the ordeal that was awaiting her. The Kashmiri teen, a resident of Karjat, was sold to three people and repeatedly gang-raped over months. When she finally managed to approach the Karjat police, the cops allegedly cast aspersions on her and refused to take any action in the case.
Later, after the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) issued notice to the cops, and social activists got together to mount pressure, her complaint was finally registered. The survivor's ordeal began on September 10, last year.
The ordeal
Speaking to mid-day, the survivor said, "I left the house and went to a relative's home in Neral. Mai Manoj told me to stay with her, but she sold me to a Gujarat-based businessman, who raped me repeatedly. Initially, he said he would marry me, but two months later, he sold me to another person. With two of his friends, that man raped me and sold me to a man in Mumbai. I managed to escape and reached Karjat on March 11, but I found my parents had returned to Kashmir. My neighbour took me to the cops, but the officers there mocked me, saying I was into prostitution. They dragged me out of the police station and asked me to leave. The next day, some officers took me to the CWC in Alibaug."
Uncooperative cops?
Childline coordinator for Karjat, Ashok Jangle, said, "The CWC had ordered cops to get a medical test done on the survivor and register a case. But, when CWC officials visited her on March 24, the girl said only a medical test had been conducted. We accompanied CWC members to the police station and got a case filed."
On Monday, Shiv Sena volunteers protested outside the police station, demanding the arrest of the culprits and the suspension of the personnel who didn't take cognisance of the survivor's complaint.
Raigad SP Anil Paraskar said, "The victim's medical test was conducted on March 15 and reports have confirmed rape. We have detained three people. I will find out if any officer refused to take her complaint and take required action."
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