SHILLONG, July 20: The Social Welfare Department has sought a report on the gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in South Garo Hills district and a doctor’s refusal to treat her for a jurisdictional reason.
The Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment (ACWE) has also decided to hold a meeting on the issue and asked all officials concerned to depose before it.
South Garo Hills police reported the matter to the Health department and are exploring leagal options against the erring doctor.
East Garo Hills DC Swapnil Tembe said that the Medical Superintendent of Williamnagar Civil Hospital has been directed to submit a report into the incident.
Police arrested four persons accused of sexually assaulting the minor girl in the Nangalbibra area.
Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla condemned the gang-rape as well as the insensitivity of the doctor at the Williamnagar Civil Hospital in East Garo Hills district for declining to examine her medically on the ground that the place of incident and investigation was in another district.
“This girl went out to buy candles and had to go through all this. The culprits have been arrested. They deserve the strictest of punishment under the provisions of the law so that it acts as a deterrent,” he said.
Shylla also said jurisdiction should not be an issue in such cases. “I won’t mind if rules are broken to save a life. Humanity should prevail. We will take up the doctor’s issue with the Health Department,” he added.
The police had taken the girl to the Williamnagar hospital as it was 22 km from Nangalbibra. But the doctor there, citing jurisdictional complications, referred her to the Baghmara Civil Hospital 75 km away.
ACWE chairperson Ampareen Lyngdoh said: “I cannot understand why the victim had to travel 75 km to get help. Why she was refused medical attention in Williamnagar and referred to the Baghmara hospital is something we will be looking at.”
She added that various inquiry reports from the departments concerned would be sought.
“It is disheartening to know such crimes are occurring regularly in the state even in the midst of the pandemic. I will call an online meeting of the committee and request all the officials concerned to depose before it,” Lyngdoh said.
Action sought against doctor
Organisations from Williamnagar in East Garo Hills have sought action against a doctor for turning back a rape victim who was brought to the Williamnagar Civil Hospital without treatment on Monday, citing jurisdiction issues.
In their complaint to the Deputy Commissioner, Swapnil Tembe, the two organizations — the GSU and the FKJGP — said that the priority was the health of the victim and the issue of jurisdiction could have been resolved later.
“We are shocked by the apathy shown by the doctor. He is here to save lives and not to judge the boundary and jurisdiction,” the organizations said.
Stating that the incident had brought the hospital in bad light, the organizations urged Tembe to look into the matter and to take strong action if there was negligence on the part of the doctor.
