Sagar (MP): National Commission for Women (NCW) member Charu Wali Khanna on Monday blamed the district administration for the plight of a 21-year-old married woman who was allegedly sold for Rs 50,000 for not conceding to dowry demands and repeatedly raped by at least six persons before being rescued.
Terming the sale and rape of the woman, who hails from Madhdevda village as "unusual case of misuse of rights of women", Khanna said the district administration has done nothing to ensure safety of the victim. "It was an unusual case of misuse of rights granted to a woman as the victim was first subjected to child marriage, harassed for dowry and then raped by six persons," Khanna told reporters after meeting the victim at her village.
Pulling up the administration for shirking its responsibility, Khanna said those responsible for her plight are roaming free and openly threatening family members from her father`s side.
She also demanded adequate security for the victim and her kin. Khanna said the rising crime against women in Madhya Pradesh is the matter of great concern and she would soon meet Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the issue. "NCW has taken the suo motu cognisance of the matter and would ensure that the victim gets adequate financial assistance," she said.
The ordeal for the victim began when she got married as a minor to one Anand Kurmi in 2005 at Tyonda village. However, soon after marriage her husband and his relatives started harassing her to bring Rs 1 lakh in cash from her parents, police had said.
While she was forced to live in a cow shed at her husband`s village, his acquaintance Guddu Maharaj allegedly raped her taking advantage of her plight.
However, when her health deteriorated, the victim`s husband left her in the care of his relative, Ram Singh Kurmi at Khurai town for treatment, but the latter and his two sons, identified as Narendra and Lokendra, also sexually exploited her, the woman had alleged in her police complaint.
According to police, they sold her to one Dwarika Prasad of Mahuna village for Rs 50,000.
Meanwhile, during her captivity, Prasad also allegedly raped her following which her condition worsened after which he sent her along with one Kharak Singh to Khurai for medical treatment.
But en-route, Kharak Singh also allegedly took advantage of her situation and after getting her treated at Khurai town left her again with Prasad.
The victim somehow managed to inform her father about her whereabouts following which he brought her back to his house on June 28 and reported the matter to Rahatgarh police station.
Police booked her husband Anand Kurmi and his relative Neeraj, Umabai, Kalabai, Ram Singh, Lokendra Singh Narendra Singh under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), including dowry harassment among others, while Guddu Maharaj, Dwarika Prasad and Kharak Singh for rape.
Police have so far arrested Dwarika Prasad (26), Kharak Singh (42) and Ram Singh (55) and efforts are on to trace the remaining accused.
PTI