Shillong, Feb 3: The Assembly’s Committee on Women Empowerment has decided to summon East Khasi Hills superintendent of police, officer in-charge Madanrting police station and others on February 6, in connection with the recent alleged rape of a minor girl.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Chairperson of the Committee and East Shillong legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday.
The Committee slammed over the lack of professionalism on the part of police and doctors in handling the case.
The incident had taken place on the night of January 29, when the minor girl was found in an unconscious state at Madanrting.
After the meeting, Lyngdoh told reporters that the Committee has decided to call for an urgent meeting on February 6.
The SP of East Khasi Hills, Office In-charge of Madanrting police station, Investigating Officer, Medical Superintendent of Ganesh Das Hospital, Counsellor, Child Welfare Committee and Child Protection Officer have been asked to appear before the committee.
“We have given them two days to prepare all their respective reports. We will first meet these departmental heads to have more insight into the case before we decide on any action to be taken,†the chairperson said.
She termed it unfortunate the year 2020 started with the first case that came to the attention of the Committee where a minor was not only raped, but assaulted.
“What disturbs me much was the fact that this girl was cut throughout her body by blades. She was gagged, and drugged and she was found unconscious by the police,†Lyngdoh, who had also visited the victim in the hospital said.
“What’s even more disturbing was the fact that the relatives of the minor had told me that they keep on saying it was a consensual sexual act and that they were given a long lecture by the doctors that this is not a rape case despite the apparent bruises and cut marks,†the MLA said.
Stating that there is a very serious lapse in the case, Lyngdoh said the mother had gone to the police station on January 29, at about 5.36 pm to register a missing report but apparently the police refused and instead told her to come back the next day along with a photo of the child.
The legislator also said that she had put tremendous effort to call the SP on Saturday but she was not able to get through to her.
“Subsequently I got the number of the OC and there came a time that I had to actually be a little assertive and I reminded the OC that he wasn’t speaking to me as an ordinary citizen of Meghalaya and that I am a legislator. I must say he was very casual about the whole thing and it didn’t seem like he was putting any effort to understand the details of the case. He kept insisting that I speak to the Investigation Officer. I was a little disappointed that I did not get the correct response from the police department,†she said.
When asked, Lyngdoh said it is an irony and an unfortunate situation that the same police station (which refused to register the case) at around 10.30 pm to 11 pm, called and asked the mother to come and identify the girl they found in the market.
“This is a very unfortunate incident and the manner this whole thing has been handled is very disturbing to me as a woman. It (incident) was happening within the vicinity of the police station.. Had they listened to the mother’s plea, may be they would have located the child much faster but they didn’t take it in the right way,†she said.
Lyngdoh also questioned the delay to collect many items which are important for forensic investigation.
“We would like to fill in these information gaps that seem to be very apparent in the case. The child when I met her in the hospital disclosed and described to me many parts of what had happened. I want to know whether police have recorded this or whether or not they are on the hunt to nab the miscreants,†she said.