Bajrang Dal threatened to rape us: Tribal girls with Nuns allege assault, police complicity
Raipur: Tribal girls who were detained along with three Kerala nuns in Chhattisgarh on charges of forced religious conversion have made serious allegations against Bajrang Dal leader Jyoti Sharma and local police personnel.
Speaking to the media after the nuns were granted bail, the girls said that they were locked in a room, beaten on Jyoti Sharma’s orders, and threatened with rape by members of the Hindutva outfit, all in the presence of the police.
Tearfully recounting the ordeal, the girls maintained that there was no conversion attempt or human trafficking involved. They stated that they had willingly accompanied the nuns as employees (cooks), with the full consent of their parents. They demanded the immediate arrest of Jyoti Sharma, whom they accused of orchestrating the violence and abuse.
The girls also revealed that while a complaint was filed at Narayanpur Police Station on Saturday, it was not acted upon. They now intend to file an online complaint at the Durga Police Station naming Jyoti Sharma and others involved.
Meanwhile, the three nuns, Sister Vandana Francis, Sister Preeti, and Sukhman Mandavi, who were arrested last week, were granted bail on Saturday by an NIA court. Each had to furnish a bond of ₹50,000 and surrender their passports. The court has directed them not to leave the country.
Following their release, the nuns were taken to a monastery in Delhi under tight security.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
