Agencies
RANCHI, AUGUST 29
People from across the world have offered to help a raped girl in Jharkhand and her family in their struggle to provide medical care for the minor.HT had on Friday highlighted the ordeal of the nine-year-old and her family in a report titled ‘Father carries raped minor daughter 4km daily for treatment’. The report also carried an appeal for help.
Since Saturday morning people from across the globe wrote to us offering various kinds of support for treatment and rehabilitation of the girl.
By the time of filing of this report, around 500 people from across India, the United States of America, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Dubai and Canada have responded to the plea.
HT on Saturday morning also helped the victim’s family open a bank account so that the monetary support can be sent directly to them.
The minor girl was left with a ruptured intestine as a result of the sexual assault around two months ago in Hatiapata village in Dumaraia block. The accused, a 42-year-old driver, has since been arrested.
The minor had to undergo a couple of operations in Jamshedpur and Ranchi before her parents took her back against the doctor’s permission with an assurance that they will take her to a health centre nearest to the village for regular dressing of her wounds.
Back in the village, the poor father, a daily wager, sacrificed his job and has been carrying his daughter to a health centre 4 kilometers away every day as he had no means to buy even a bicycle.
Ever since the report was uploaded on Friday evening on the HT website, readers reacted with anger, compassion and hope. The report also went viral on various social media sites with people sharing and retweeting it.
“I shall be happy to buy a scooter and pay petrol money till the time girl needs daily visits to the hospital. I can also pay for monthly groceries until this man gets back to work” emailed Anand Sajwan from New Zealand.
Deepak Kalwani from Dubai wrote, “I want to help this father and family financially, can donate 25000 rupees.”
“Thank you for the moving write up on the cruelty of humankind…. I would like to donate to a fund,” emailed HS Valia from Indiana USA.
Jharkhand High Court was also quick to take cognisance of the report. Chief Justice Virender Singh directed the Jharkhand chief secretary to immediately pay Rs 1 lakh compensation to the victim’s family.
The chief minister’s office contacted HT and said that the girl doesn’t have to go to the hospital for dressing anymore as provisions have been made to send a lady doctor every day to her house to carry out the dressing. “We are waiting for her injuries to heal before we take her to an advanced hospital for vaginoplasty,” principal secretary to Jharkhand chief minister, Sanjay Kumar said.
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi also spoke to Hindustan Times and enquired about the case.
“A team from my organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) will be visiting Jharkhand soon and see what best they can do for the speedy recovery and rehabilitation of the minor rape victim,” he added.
Do you want to help? Write to htjharkand@hindustantimes.com
