CHILD-Rape Again!

CHILD-Rape Again!

Snehalaya’s Snehankur Project’s Ajay Wable called up Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE co-ordinator Kundan Pathare regarding a child rape case in Dakhangan area involving a 14-year-old child, lured away by her own relative with promises of marriage. Kundan along with Vrushali reached the Nagar Taluka Police station where she unsuccessfully tried to communicate with the girl, Damini, who chose to remain sullenly silent.

The child’s mother was more co-operative, and so were some family members. However, the stories were non-corroborative and inconclusive. Damini refused to answer queries from both D.S.P. Anita Jamadar as well as Police Inspector Ashwini Patil. Finally Vrushali managed to persuade the younger brother Vinod Dhirwade to shed some light on the confusion.

It was revealed that their relative Chandu Pawar works as a contractual brick-maker at Pashan Road, Pune. During Chandu’s visits to Dakhangan, his mother would call Damini over to sleep with Chandu, who sexually exploited the misled girl.

It so happened, that Damini’s mother got hospitalized, and her father had to stay in the hospital to tend to her. Her elder brother was busy with his own affairs and her younger brothers were too innocent to know what was happening. Being promised marriage Damini would sleep with Chandu every night, who used her well with his own mother’s connivance! On her return from the hospital, Damini’s mother was horrified to know about the girl’s nightly absences. When she took up the matter with Chandu’s mother, Damini threw tantrums. This made matters worse for the entire family.

Eventually, Damini’s family had to go to Parner where the advanced stage of pregnancy was visibly noticed, and the physician confirmed pregnancy. In spite of repeated attempts, Chandu refused to marry Damini and with his family’s support he disappeared. Damini’s family then asked Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE to help out. After verifying the facts again, a case was filed against Chandu (and his mother for being an accessory in the crime) under IPC section 376 and THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL OFFENCES 2012 under section 3 and 4. The hunt is presently on to trace Chandu. Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE will relentlessly track down Chandu to bring him to justice.

Exploitation of Children at an Ashram Shala!?!

Mr. Sanjay Tambe the Director of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Ashram Shala at Talki Kandeshwari in Karjat Taluka, owns a hotel run by his father-in-law Mr. Arjun Chavan.

It transpired that about a year ago, a poverty-stricken couple admitted their children aged between ten to twelve years to the Ashram Shaala. The children supposedly studying in the sixth class were forced to work in the hotel all day, where they were quite often beaten up mercilessly. Some concerned citizens reported this blantant use of children as child-laborers to the Karjat Police. On 27^th March at 11p.m., Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE team- member Alim Pathan received a call from the Karjat Taluka Police seeking intervention for two young children from an Ashram Shala. 

Alim along with his team-mates Ramesh Salke and Vrushali Bhalerao immediately set off for Karjat and took custody of the children by 2:30 a.m. A case against Mr. Arjun Chavan for coercing the helpless children to work in his hotel as waiters was registered at the Karjat Taluka Police station.

The team-members also filed a case against the Mr. Sanjay Tambe under Child Labor Act 1986 : Section 3/14 and under Juvenile Justice Act 2000 : section 23 and 26. After completion of the legal formalities, the team-members accompanied the children to the Child Welfare Committee at Ahmednagar. The committee admitted the children to District Probation and After Care Association. Thanks to the alert citizens, the co-operative police and Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE, two more children were rescued from cruel child-abusers. Whenever we come across children being abused, the simplest thing to do is to call up Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE toll-free number : 1098. They are geared and willing to take immediate action. Help is just a phone-call away!

11-year old child escapes rape!

At 6:30 p.m. on a pleasant evening of 22^nd March, a flustered Kishor Pathare trudged into Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE and complained that their own neighbor Santosh Dethe, had molested his 11-year old niece child Shweta. This shocking news was indeed even more amazing, especially because Kishor is known to be a former member of CHILD LINE! Don’t child-molesters know any dread or shame? Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE co-ordinator, the indefatigable Kundan Pathare, speedily formed a team consisting of the ever-ready CHILD LINE team-members : Abdul Khan, Shahid Shaikh, Somnath Bargal, Sunil Mohite and the perceptive counselor Ms.Vrushali Bhalerao, The team immediately set off to launch an intervention operation at the molested child’s home in Astagaon.

Vrushali accompanied the terror-stricken child to a separate room, comforted her and slowly & sensitively explored the delicate matter of the recent trauma. Shewta tearfully narrated her tale beginning with how Santosh would stalk her every day on her way to school – passing comments and teasing her. She had mentioned this to her uncle Ganesh, who apparently had brushed it off as a non-issue, failing to perceive the grave threat to the innocent child, in this real world of remorseless child-molesters. Eventually Monday 18^th March, when Shweta was happily on her way to school as usual, the emboldened 32-year old Santosh cunningly lured Shweta away from the road, saying he had some nice gift for her. He led the uncomprehending unhesitant child into an empty tin-shed near his home, fondled her and on increased demented arousal, ripped off Shweta’s under-pants. Can a 11-year old child ever withstand the brute strength of a 32-year old man crazed with lust? It was an Act of Providence that Shweta managed to escape from a certain painful rape. She hurried back to the only safe haven she could think of - her home. She wept all day recalling the horrors, magnified by the ignorance at her tender age, and finally lapsed into silence when all her tears dried up. The family only knew that she had come home crying instead of going to school, until Kishor stumbled on the possible cause. On gleaning full information about Shweta’s ordeal, Vrushali asked the family why didn’t they report the heinous crime. They hesitantly replied that they were ashamed and afraid of the consequences of the exposure resulting from reporting the disgusting crime. Their entire family would be disgraced!

After reasoning with them, Shweta (accompanied by her mother and grand-mother) was escorted to the Supa Police station, where an FIR (First Instance Report) was filed against accused under IPC 354, 504 and 506. The surprised Santosh was immediately arrested and the court remanded him to police custody. Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE will follow-up diligently to ensure that justice is finally done, and to instill apprehension in other potential child-molesters. Don’t forget to dial Snehalaya’s CHILD LINE toll-free number : 1098 at any time to rescue children in distress - even when they are not your own!