Bhopal hostel chief arrested for allegedly raping tribal girl
BHOPAL/INDORE, August 12: With the country reeling from rapes at shelter homes in Bihar and UP, Bhopal has added to the horror. The director of a government-run hostel for the disabled was arrested on Thursday for allegedly raping a deaf-mute inmate and molesting several others.
The survivor, a 19-year-old tribal girl, was suffering in silence until another inmate — who the accused had allegedly molested — ran away and told her parents that teen needed to be rescued. Alarmed, the teenager’s brother rushed to Bhopal and took her out of the hostel. Unsure of what to do next, they approached the deaf mute help desk at Tukoganj in Indore, where she narrated her ordeal in sign language.
A ‘zero FIR’ was filed at Kotwali police station in Dhar on Wednesday and the case diary was transferred to Bhopal Police after which the accused, 36-year-old Ashwini Sharma, was arrested on Thursday. When the survivor was asked to pick out the accused from a line-up, she couldn’t control her rage and slapped him, say sources.
Sharma runs two such hostels in the city, both aided by social welfare department. Both hostels have been emptied and police are interviewing the inmates. All of them will be medically examined, said an officer. Congress trained its guns on the BJP government, demanding to know why it didn’t run a check before funding Sharma’s NGO. “The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is observing Adivasi Diwas today, yet two tribal girls were molested and raped in a government-funded hostel. Yesterday, a tribal committed suicide in Betul because she was raped and the incident filmed,” said state Congress media cell chief Shobha Oza. TOI tried to contact government spokesperson Narottam Mishra but couldn’t get through.
Bhopal DIG Dharmendra Choudhary said the survivor was put up at the hostel after she took admission at an ITI in Bhopal in July 2016. She has told police that Sharma started misbehaving with her on Diwali 2017. When she protested, he used to assault her, says her complaint. On December 24, 2017, Sharma allegedly grabbed her and tried to drag her into a room in the hostel, but another inmate (whose escape opened the can of worms) tried to save her.Sharma pushed her aside, forced the teenager into a room and raped her, says the complaint, adding that it was the beginning of her sexual torture. Sharma allegedly raped her several times, and whenever she protested, he would threaten her.
Sharma also exploited other inmates: Cops
DIG Choudhary said Sharma forced her to stay back during vacations, claiming that her parents wanted her to remain in Bhopal. He did not allow her to go back even after she completed her ITI diploma. The last time he raped her was on August 4, says the complaint.
DIG Choudhary said that the survivor’s friend went home and told the teen’s family about her ordeal. Her brother came to Bhopal and took her back on August 6. The family members then approached the deaf and mute help Desk at Tukoganj. IG (Bhopal Range) Jaideep Prasad said the survivor has alleged that Sharma sexually exploited other hostel inmates too. She identified the accused in a line-up, he said. Police say Sharma used to visit railway stations or bus-stands to pick up new inmates and those returning from vacation because he didn’t want their families to know the way to the hostel. The inmates were entirely at his mercy, say police.
Courtesy: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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PM Modi speaks to Iranian president, discusses 'serious' situation in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone and discussed the "serious situation" in West Asia.
Modi expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.
The prime minister told the Iranian President that the safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India's top priorities.
“Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region. Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure,” Modi said in a post on X.
The prime minister also reiterated India's commitment to peace and stability and urged dialogue and diplomacy to end the crisis.
The prime minister had spoken to leaders of several West Asian countries in the last 10 days in the wake of the coordinated offensive launched against Iran by the United States and Israel, in which the Islamic country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed last month.
In retaliation, Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf region, including the global business and aviation hubs of Dubai and Doha.
Modi earlier spoke to the leaders of Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Israel and Qatar, and expressed concern over the attacks on their countries, and condemned the violation of some nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also discussed the welfare and security of the Indian community residing in those countries.
Around 1 crore Indians live in the Gulf and West Asia. While about 10,000 Indian citizens live, study and work in Iran, more than 40,000 live in Israel.
