Officials, NGO come forward to rehabilitate Hazaribagh teen rape survivor

AGRA: Two days after a TOI report on a 14-year-old girl from Jharkhand, who was allegedly raped multiple times before finally escaping her tormentor by walking along with a group of marching migrants for three days and sometimes hiding in forests, the Hazaribagh district child protection unit and an NGO stepped in to provide financial, medical and legal aid to the survivor.
The girl had crossed the Uttar Pradesh-Rajasthan border on May 30 along with her brother, sister-in-law and another Hazaribagh girl who was sold and raped multiple times before reaching Fatehpur Sikri and seeking police help.
The Hazaribagh district child protection unit (DCPU) and NGO Breakthrough India have now come together to rehabilitate the teenager and fight her case. The Hazaribagh police also filed a zero FIR on Saturday and recorded the survivor’s statement before a magistrate.
"My sister is still under severe trauma. She is reluctant to talk to anyone and refuses to stay alone. But we have decided not to return to Bharatpur under any circumstances,” the girl’s brother added.
Hazaribagh DCPU officer Sanjay Prasad told TOI, "We will provide financial, medical and legal aid to the survivor. In such cases, we have to ensure that the best possible help should be provided to the victim."
Alok Bharti, the incharge of NGO Breakthrough India’s Jharkhand unit who coordinated with Jharkhand and Agra police for safe return of the three women, including the teenager, said, "We will also keep a constant tab on the teenage survivor. After the TOI report, people are coming forward to fund the girl’s education too. We are ready to provide every possible help to the girl even after she attains the age of 18."
Hazaribagh superintendent of police Karthik S, said, "The zero FIR and medical report of the victim will be sent to Kumher police station in Bharatpur district for further investigation, as the rape was committed there. We have got the survivor’s statement recorded in front of a magistrate."
The accused, Hardev Sharma, his wife Rekha Devi and Nandlal Yadav, have been booked under IPC’s section 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage), 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)