Raped and harassed, girl escapes in-laws

By Gunwanti Paraste

Married off to a middle-aged man at the age of 14 underneath the pretext of a excellent training, she was locked up, overwhelmed and raped by her husband a couple of times

While we're banging the drum of development within the country, the on-ground fact seems to be much different. Discarding this veil of advancement within the society is the story of 18-year-old Sukanya (name modified), who was married off at the comfortable age of 14 to a 50-year-old man underneath the pretext of providing her excellent training.

Belonging to a deficient family, Sukanya’s oldsters have been satisfied that obtaining her married off would clear up their issues in addition to meet her call for getting an training. Sukanya’s in-laws promised her family that they will let her study and won't drive her to copulate along with her husband until she came of age. However, simplest suffering and harassment came alongside Sukanya’s way.

While talking to Mirror, Sukanya stated, “I used to be in Class VIII when my grandmother mounted this marriage. My oldsters aren't residing together and so I used to be residing with my grandmother, who married me off as her monetary situation was vulnerable. I adversarial this however my relatives satisfied me that as we have been deficient this was the most suitable option for me. My in-laws had promised my grandmother that they would provide me with a excellent training and a excellent existence. Although they promised not to drive me into physical relations with my husband until I came of age, I used to be raped a couple of times by my husband. If I refused, he would beat me up.”

Sukanya stated her husband were married twice before and both the girls have been minors too. They had run away going through mental and sexual harassment. “They never allowed me to consult with my village to fulfill my grandmother and relatives. My uncle and aunt stay at Pimpri and my husband would refuse them to fulfill me every time they came.”

Fed up with this, Sukanya in any case accrued up the braveness to speak up and knowledgeable her uncle. But her better half's mother noticed her speaking at the cell phone and thrashed her. “After this incident, my uncle came to Bibwewadi and took me with him. He then admitted me in a health facility for remedy,” stated Sukanya.

Without further ado, the uncle and aunt rescued Sukanya from her in-laws and approached Pimpri police chowky. But her woes did not end there as even the police made her run from pillar to post. Finally, a case was registered by the Pimpri police station. Sukanya’s in-laws were booked for rape and physical assault underneath sections 376, 323 and 326 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Child Marriage Act, POCSO Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act.

Talking about her niece’s predicament, the sufferer’s aunt stated, “I actually noticed her situation. She was brutally assaulted by her husband on a couple of occasions. I attempted assembly her however her inlaws never let us meet or communicate at the phone. They even locked her in a room to forestall her from talking to others.”

The case was filed by kid rights activist Dr Yamini Adbe who informed Mirror, “When she came to my health facility for remedy her situation was very bad. I asked her the rationale behind this and that once she narrated me her ordeal. She were married off at the age of 14 in a temple in Latur. Her in-laws then brought her to Pune where they stay in Bibwewadi. She was being treated like a maid and underneath the lure of excellent training, she was locked in a room for the past four years. She never left the house because the family was looking to disguise the child marriage.”

Senior inspector Kalyan Pawar of Pimpri police station informed Mirror that they have been within the technique of filing an FIR. After that, they are going to investigate the matter. Police denied disclosing the names of the accused because the investigation is pending.