Girl accuses Bhiwani sadhvi of sexual exploitation
In her complaint, she has also claimed that she was not the first victim to be sexually exploited by the Sadhvi. Kaushalya Bai and Kiran, meanwhile, have refuted the allegations. Both in their statements to the police have termed the allegations baseless and an attempt to malign them.
Haryana's self-proclaimed godmen and their female counterparts are in the news for all the wrong reasons. Barely a fortnight after the Rampal episode in Hisar, a Charkhi Dadri-based sadhvi is now facing the charge of molesting a girl. In her police complaint, the 17-year-old girl has accused Kaushalya Bai, 47, of sexual exploitation. She also told the police that the sadhvi had confined her illegally.
Ironically, after joining a stitching centre run by Kaushalya Bai in May last year, the victim had developed feelings for the sadhvi's 22-year-old associate Kiran (name changed) which blossomed into an intimate relationship over the course of time.
Unknown to her family, the girl had even 'married' Kiran in October last year. The girl claimed that the 'marriage' had the blessings of Kaushalya Bai. The affair remained under wraps as the girl would return to home in the evening. But her mother got suspicious and she caught her in the sadhvi's ashram. 'Not the first victim' The girl went on to claim that her exploitation started from earlier this year in January when she was spending a night with Kiran.
In her complaint, she has also claimed that she was not the first victim to be sexually exploited by the sadhvi. Kaushalya Bai and Kiran, meanwhile, have refuted the allegations. Both in their statements to the police have termed the allegations baseless and an attempt to malign them.
On December 2, the girl along with her mother, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairperson Raj Bala Sheoran met ADGP (Crime Against Women) R.C. Mishra in Panchkula. The girl told the police officer that the Dadri police was shielding the sadhvi.
The girl's mother had filed a complaint with the police against the sadhvi on November 14. As the Dadri police had initiated no action against the sadhvi in the last three weeks, the girl and her mother approached the Child Welfare Committee, Bhiwani and narrated the ordeal to CWC chairperson Raj Bala Sheoran and members Meena Jangra and Sunita Yadav.
Later, the CWC members met the Deputy Commissioner, Bhiwani and filed a fresh complaint at the local police station on November 20. The girl's family alleged that the police registered a case of illegal confinement and forced labour but ignored the molestation charge.
ADGP Mishra had assured the family and the CWC members that all aspects of the case will be probed by the police. The Superintendent of Police, Bhiwani was directed to set up a special investigation team to probe the allegations. "As of now only a case of illegal confinement has come to light. We have set up an SIT to investigate the allegation of sexual exploitation. I am yet to get the SIT probe report. We are investigating the case," Superintendent of Police, Bhiwani, Ashwani Sainvi said.
It has now come to light that the police have not included charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and other IPC sections related to sexual exploitation. The girl's family has now contacted a local NGO, Shikhar Chetna Sangthan, to take up their case with the higher authorities. "The police are handling the case casually. The victim has recorded her statements before the magistrate, the Child Welfare Committee and even before the senior police officers but the police is not registering a case under POCSO)and other sections of IPC," Shikhar Chetna Sangthan president Sushil Verma said.
Child Welfare Committee chairperson Raj Bala Sheoran told this reporter that the SIT probe had found some evidence regarding the girl's exploitation but the alleged sexual exploitation of other girls was not confirmed.
SIT probe
"The victim has told us that she was physically exploited by Kaushalya Bai and Kiran. She had also hinted exploitation of other girls but the SIT could not establish the charges. The probe is still on and the report is likely to be submitted on Monday," Sheoran said.