Day: March 12, 2015

By Alex Guite

LAMKA, March 11: A committee of the Manipur Alliance for Child Right, MACR, Imphal, headed by its convener Keisham Pradip along with four members and councillor of the CWC, Manipur, in collaboration with the MACR, Churachandpur Chapter, went on a fact finding mission, accompanied by a group of media men, in regards to the case of organised and routine rape of minors at the North Eastern Children Home,NECH, located at Rangkai, Lamka, by its administrator Timothy L. Changsan who is now in jail yesterday.

The team went to the Home, which is one of the most well run homes of the district, where the seven minor girls, who ran away from the Home, made a formal complaint of sexual harassment, torture and rape by the administrator, who was describe by many as serials offended and a sex maniac.

The offender is currently in police custody waiting to be charge sheeted.

It may be recalled the IFP broke the news of this sex crime.

Officials of the Home told the visiting team that they are keeping by the order of the CWC and are doing everything to protect the unfortunate seven girls. They however said they are unaware of any further development in the case.

They said they did not intervene in the matter because it was beyond their jurisdiction to do so but they were aware `the girls were terrorized by the influential administrator of the Home.`

They said they were aware the test are underway if the girls were actually physically raped or else it was technical rape as per legal definition. They said they were aware under the new POCSO Act, molestation or advance with ill intention are considered rape.

The fact finding team will also meet with some relatives of the victim girls but were surprise by the fact that the response to the crime by the CCpur public was less then lukewarm with no women and student organizations coming out in the open to protest or condemn the rape.

A top functionary of a girls Home of the district confided that the lukewarm response and sombre attitude of different organizations is on account of the money power and influence of the offender. The fact that the children were orphans also may contribute to this lack of support, they said.

The MACR, Manipur `s convener echoed this line by saying that `why would even parents keep silence after knowing that their children were abused.`

The surprising fact was also the absence of child right activists of the district. Equally surprising was the police who too restrained parents to meet their wards.

It was also learned during the tour that the school, also a Home, was known for corporal punishments.

Many believe police officers are hands in gloves with the culprit.

Of the total of 28 girls borders the Home sheltered before IFP broke the scandal, the home now has only 21 girls. The remaining girls were given counselling by the MACR team.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/manipur-child-rights-alliance-visits-home-were-children-were-routinely-raped-by-administrator/

IMPHAL, March 12: The ministry of home affairs sent an advisory warning of attacks on people from the Northeast states after it found that a misinformation campaign about the Dimapur incident was going on in the social media, a report in Asian Age today said.

The report quoted an MHA official as saying `We suspect that the social media is being used by some anti-social elements to create tension and instigate people to attack people of Northeast origin in the three cities,`. The Centre also told the states to deploy adequate security forces in places that a sizeable number of Northeast people live and frequent, it said.

The report said on the controversy over the alleged rape, the joint secretary in the home ministry in charge of Northeast affairs, Mr. Shambhu Singh, told said, `We have not received any such report from Nagaland which defined the Dimapur incident as a case of consensual sex.`

It also quoted him as saying `Even the report of the Forensic Sciences Laboratory has not come. It is awaited.`

Quoting sources the report further said said the MHA has got a status report from the state government which contains the `statement` of the `rape accused` to the police after his February 24 arrest denying he had committed the crime and stating he had paid Rs. 5,000 to the alleged rape victim. `This does not establish whether the crime was committed or not.`

Pointing out that the forensic report will be placed before the court, Mr. Singh said it is the court that will take cognisance of the evidences and forensic reports now, the Asian Age report said.

Meanwhile, Nagaland home minister Y. Patton said in Kohima that the rape of a 20-year-old girl, alleged by Syed Farid Khan who was lynched by a mob on March 5, has been confirmed. Mr. Patton disclosed this in response to the claim by Khan`™s family members that the girl was not raped and that he was framed for his refusal to cough up illegal taxes. Mr Patton reiterated that the medical report had confirmed rape.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/dimapur-issue-no-naga-report-on-consensual-sex-says-mha/