Odisha: After bail in rape case, man now living with the survivor

NEW DELHI: In an unusual report raising legal and moral issues, the Odisha police has informed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that a headmaster of a government girls’ school, arrested under the POCSO Act for raping a minor tribal student, has started cohabiting with the rape survivor and her girl child after getting bail and that they are "living happily".
The situation came to light when NHRC sought response from Odisha police on a complaint filed by advocate and human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, alleging that tribal girls are being sexually exploited in the schools and demanded to know the rehabilitation measures taken by the government and police action against the accused.
In one of the many cases, police informed that it had registered a case under Section 376 of IPC and Section 4/6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against headmaster of SSD Government Girls’ High School in tribal district of Koraput on October 1, 2017 and arrested him the next day. Police chargesheeted him and the accused remained in custody till November 16, 2020.
The pregnant minor survivor gave birth to a girl child and the district authorities provided her and the newborn medical and healthcare facilities. "The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) has provided an interim compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh to the mother, while the Indian Red Cross Society paid a further sum of Rs 10,000. On the orders of the Odisha Human Rights Commission, an amount of Rs 3.75 lakh was paid to the rape survivor," police informed.
"As regards the provision of a pucca house in favour of the victim under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, the Tehsildar of Nandapur and his staff have demarcated a government land in 2019 measuring 1306 square feet at village Khamara. The Tehsildar has been requested to expedite the process in coordination with district authorities to provide the pucca house in favour of the victim," the Superintendent of Police of Koraput said in his report.
On steps taken for rehabilitation of the newborn, the Koraput SP said, "The newborn girl was shifted to Child Care Centre, Koraput, and taken care of till November 2020. However, when the accused headmaster came out on bail on November 16, 2020, he went to the village of the victim girl and brought her with him on her consent. Thereafter, the victim girl brought the newborn girl from the Child Care Centre and is now staying with the accused headmaster in a rented house at Borigumma, Koraput. The victim is said to be happy with the accused and the girl child." Police said there was no other criminal case pending against the headmaster and that he is still under suspension since his arrest on October 2, 2017.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)