Bhubaneswar, Nov 15 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Dhenkanal district collector to provide the best available care and medical facilities to one poor unmarried girl who got pregnant following repeated sexual abuse by some miscreants in the Bhapur area of the district.

Acting on a plea filed by the Supreme Court advocate and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the Commission directed the collector to ensure the victim gets necessary medical care for the safe delivery of the baby along with pre-and post-delivery care to the mother and the newborn.

“The Commission at this stage is concerned about the mature stage of pregnancy that the survivor is facing. It could well be understood that the only guardian: the father is old and has mental issues thereby rendering him incapable of taking care of the survivor and the to-be-born infant. Hence, the onus of responsibility and care to the survivor falls on the shoulder of the State,” observed the NHRC.

The complainant Tripathy stated the Collector has been asked to submit the updated status of monetary compensation paid to the survivor through the DLSA, Dhenkanal and details of all other facilities provided and to be provided to the survivor and her to-be-born child.

The Commission has also directed the district Superintendent of Police to submit a supplementary status report in connection with the case (713/24) lodged at the Sadar Police station in this regard on September 8, 2024. The district administration has been asked to submit their compliance reports in this regard within eight weeks.

It is pertinent here to mention that the district administration, while responding to a notice issued by the Commission, had earlier informed the NHRC that the victim along with her mentally ill father was staying in an abandoned building in her village.

It further added that the victim was raped by eight youths of that village and meanwhile, she became pregnant. On getting information from one local villager, the victim was brought to SAKHI for support on September 4 and was placed under observation. Her seven-month pregnancy was later determined.

Based on the written complaint of the victim, Dhenkanal Police lodged a case and arrested five accused including a minor. The Commission was also informed by the administration that steps have been taken for the proper rehabilitation of the victim and her mentally ill father.