The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Odisha Government to furnish a detailed action taken report (ATR) within six weeks about the alleged misbehaviour and molestation of at least three tribal girls of a Balangir-based Sevashram hostel by the male watchman of the same hostel.
Besides issuing notice to the State School and Mass Education Department Secretary, the NHRC has also issued notices to the Balangir district Collector and SP. While the district SP has been asked to submit the status report of the case registered in this matter at the local Titilagarh PS, the Collector has been asked to submit a report as to financial assistance if any has been paid to the parents of the victim girls as required under the provision of SC and ST Act.
Basing on an application filed by social activist and High Court lawyer Prabir Kumar Das, the commission had earlier issued a notice to the SP and, on the direction of the SP, the Titilagarh SDPO had submitted a report to the commission in May this year.
The report had indicated that Ratnakar Ghivela, a male watchman, was allowed to sleep inside the Kholan-based Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, which had allegedly facilitated the mala fide activities. The watchman had allegedly made sexual advances towards two class-VIII and one class-VII girl of the hostel and molested them.
Das in his application had also pointed out that the watchman was involved in these nefarious activities for long and every time after a departmental enquiry, he was left off. However, in November last year, one of the victim students reported the watchman’s act to her parents, who in turn reported this to the local police. Basing on the complaints, a case was registered against the erring watchman under section 354-A (ii), 506 and 34 of IPC along with section 12 of POCSO-2012 and section 3(1)(xi) of SC and ST Act. But by the time the case was registered on Nov 19, 2013, the accused Ratnakar had absconded.
