By Our Reporter
Shillong: In a sad and unfortunate incident, a 14-year-old minor girl from Jaintia Hills, who was raped in 2011, is fighting with trauma, while the two rival factions of a prominent women’s organization in the State, CSWO, are out to outdo each other, accumulating brownie points.
The two factions of the CSWO — one led by Agnes Kharshiing and the other led by Irene Hujon — are going all out to score points against each other in the case of the school girl who was raped by one Small Phawa at Riat Siatsim, Jowai on November 30, 2011.
It has emerged that the faction led by Kharshiing are firm on ensuring justice for the victim and punishment to the accused, while the other faction under Hujon are bent on defending the accused. Kharshiing, meanwhile, has said that they would take the issue of the rape of the 14-year-old girl with the National Human Rights Commission.
“It has been established that the minor girl was raped by Phawa,” Kharshiing said while also condemning the faction led by Hujon for trying to protect the accused despite it being common knowledge that he had committed the heinous crime.
She also criticized Hujon and her group for attempting to seek an anticipatory bail for the accused by pleading before the court that he (accused) would cooperate with the investigation.
“This would set precedence for other rape accused who would easily manage anticipatory bail by promising to cooperate in the investigation process,” Kharshiing said.
“Medical examination of the girl had also confirmed that the victim was raped,” Kharshiing added.
Meanwhile, in a petition filed before the Jaintia Hills Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Hujon said that after they had investigated the matter on their part, they had found that the accused and the victim were actually in love and whatever happened on November 30 was consensual.
While assuring that the accused will not abscond, tamper or hamper with the investigating agency, she added that the accused will fully cooperate with them in the event of anticipatory bail being granted to him.
It may be recalled as per the FIR lodged by the family of the victim, the girl was raped by Phawa while she had accompanied her young brother to the toilet.
The family also complained that Phawa, who was regarded as an uncle by the girl, called her and dragged her inside a vehicle, put on loud music and then raped her.