Guwahati: In what has angered the civil society, an inmate at a shelter home in Upper Assam’s Sivasagar district, allegedly raped by the superintendent of the shelter home, attempted suicide after administration failed to take any action.
The inmate had accused the superintendent of the shelter home, Parag Goswami, of raping her in September this year.
The social activists who were approached by the victim had filed two FIRs with Sivsagar police but accused managed to get anticipatory bail. Police also failed to file any charge sheet against the accused.
The victim who recently approached a child right organisation was earlier molested by her stepfather forcing her to flee her home.
“She was molested by her stepfather before she fled her home. Then she was rescued by social workers and then put in a shelter home in Sivasagar,” the victim wrote to Miguel Queah, founder of Utsah, the child rights organisation.
The child rights activist told reporters that she was subjected to physical and sexual abuse by Goswami in connivance with other officials.
With no end to her ordeal in sight, she attempted suicide on Wednesday. She was rescued and is reported to be stable now. In her statement, the victim said, “I spoke up against (Parag) Goswami. He had raped me and assaulted me sexually several times. I am ashamed to speak about these things over and over again to different authorities.” She added, “I am in a state of mental stress. Nobody believed me and thought I was mentally ill. I want justice.” The social activists have sought the intervention of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. In a letter to chief minister they said, “ I demand the CM’s immediate intervention in the matter and action against the main accused as well as everyone who had allegedly protected him. I also want the victim to be shifted immediately to a different home for better medical facilities and counselling,” they wrote.
Pallav Gopal Jha, deputy commissioner (Siva-sagar), said, “As the accused is out on anticipatory bail, police have been asked to expedite the case and file the chargesheet immediately.”
He said that district administration is also meeting the Child Welfare Commission and authority concerned to take decision on shifting the victim to shelter home in Guwahati.
