Sexual assault survivor escapes shelter home in Jharkhand, missing thereafter
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Kalyani Kandar Meena v. The State of Jharkhand and Ors. [W.P.(PIL) No. 4628 of 2015], Hon’ble High Court of Jharkhand
Sahdeo Khaskel, a night guard at SSEP found a semi naked women lying unconscious in the verandah at Mechanics’ Rest Room of the campus. Her body bared marks of injury and it appeared to be a case of rape. An FIR was lodged at the Madhupur Rail Police on the basis of the night guard’s statement and the said woman was immediately shifted to an NGO called Prerna Bharti. She was then shifted to Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry & Allied Sciences, Ranchi (RINPAS) for carrying out the necessary tests and for availing the much needed treatment after which she was shifted to yet another NGO called Bokaro Mahila Jan Swashtha (Sishu) Kalyan Kendra on 11th October 2015.
On 20th November 2015, the President of the said N.G.O. at Bokaro informed the Chas Police Station that the said victim has fled from the institution and the search operation was initiated immediately.
A PIL was filed by Kalyani Kandar Meena along with other social workers in 2015 since this incident was widely publicized in newspapers. The PIL prayed for immediate direction to the respondents to investigate the case thoroughly so as to identify and arrest the culprits immediately. It also stressed on providing the victim with medical assistant and shelter as soon as she was found.
The hon’ble court has observed that the police has done a commendable job in searching the victim woman. However, the search is still on and it is expected that the State of Jharkhand will provide her with the appropriate medical and shelter as and when she was found.