RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Sept.29: Grass root policing of the state has come under the scanner after two girls belonging to the Paharia tribe, one of the nine particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) of Jharkhand, knocked the door of the superintendent of police of Latehar Anjani Anjan after their complaint alleging a trafficker of rape was taken for granted in a local police station.
The girls, who are residents of Chandwa, had turned up at the local police station on September 12 with their parents to inform that they were raped on September 9 by a trafficker Vijay Singh. They alleged that the trafficker took the help of a local woman to trap them before the rape.
“Karrabai Ho Rahi Rahi (Action is being taken),” said S.P Anjan confirming the allegation. He did not go into the details of the case.
A police official said the girls through their letter to S.P Anjan said that the trafficker, who is a resident of Chatuag village, took them to Delhi for a job two and a half years ago. After a weeklong stay, he placed one at Jaipur in Rajasthan and another at Delhi, the complaint letter reads.
According to the letter, one who was placed at Jaipur returned with Rs 40,000 cash as remuneration while another placed in Delhi was dropped by a trafficker at Chandwa without any remuneration.
When a girl who returned without any remuneration raised demand, Singh threatened her of dire consequences, the letter suggests. However, the letter reads, the girl kept on giving repeated reminders and threatened him with legal action.
On getting threats of legal action, trafficker Singh with the help of a local woman called both of them on September 9 at Latehar, where he kept them roaming throughout the day. While talking to them at an unknown deserted place, he snatched their mobile phones and broke their SIMs. Following which he raped them during the night hour. The next morning the girls somehow managed to return to their homes and informed their family members about the incident.
On June 12, they accompanied by their parents knocked on the door of Chandwa police station for justice. Officials at the police station did not take their complaints seriously. They did not take any action against the trafficker. On September 20, police officials called them at the police station and made them sit for 36 hours.
When the girls did not see any hope of justice at the police station, they approached the SP, Latehar, the police official said.