An uneasy reminder

Ramkrishan Upadhyay in Chandigarh 

The recent incidents of abuse of inmates at shelter homes across the country have brought back memories of the rape of a 16-year-old mentally challenged inmate of Nari Niketan here in 2009. The girl had been staying at Nari Niketan in Sector 26. She was later shifted to Ashreya, a home for mentally disturbed persons in Sector 47. That she had been raped during her stay at Nari Niketan came to light when she was found pregnant by authorities at Ashreya. The police found that the victim was raped repeatedly during her stay in Nari Niketan in March 2009 and later by security guards and some employees of Ashreya. A nexus between employees of Nari Niketan and Ashreya came to light. The accused  included Nari Niketan employees — guards Bhupinder Singh, Jamna Kumar Rana and Bajinder Singh, sweeper-cum-attendant Kamla, nurse-cum-attendant Maya — and Ashreya attendant Chotu Ram (biological father of the victim’s child), Bhagwandeen Yadav, Davinder Singh and driver Naresh Kumar. All of them were arrested and the court pronounced a 10-year rigorous imprisonment for all of them.

What the court observed in its verdict remains relevant today. The judgment reads that “the rape of the Nari Niketan inmate is an eye-opener for society and shows how affairs are managed in institutes meant for the welfare of destitute persons. If persons at the helm of affairs were diligent, this untoward incident could have been avoided.”

Following reports about the incident, the Chandigarh Administration woke up from its slumber. Various measures have now been taken so that such incidents don’t get repeated. According to Navjot Kaur, Director, Department of Social Welfare, no male employees are allowed inside Nari Niketan Sector 26 and Ashiana in Sector 15. She said the department had ensured that no men were employed in shelters homes where all women or girls resided. She said there were around 26 women living in Nari Niketan while 110 girls were living in Ashiana.

Today the rape victim is working as a helper and her daughter is studying in one of the Convent schools of the city. The administration has deposited Rs 8 lakh in the account of the girl and is bearing the expenditure of the upbringing and studies of the girl.