The 14-year-old minor girl who survived sexual assault at Maruthi orphanage in Telangana passed away early Wednesday morning. She was undergoing treatment at Niloufer hospital. Two of her uncles have been taken into custody for the alleged physical assault. Police had earlier arrested another three persons for sexually assaulting the girl.
An official with the Jeedimetla police station told TNM that the girl passed away around 2.30 am on August 12. The cause of death is unknown and a post-mortem report is awaited. The police have, however, taken both the uncles of the girl into custody. The 14-year-old, in her statement, had complained about the treatment meted out to her at their residence, said the police.
The sexual assault
The minor girl had been living in Maruthi orphanage in Sangareddy distrist and had moved to her maternal aunt's residence under Bowenpally police station limits on July 27 during lockdown. Her aunt found that the girl was limping and had sustained physical injuries. The clinic informed the aunt about the sexual assault. The aunt approached the Bowenpally police with a formal complaint on July 31.
The 14-year-old was allegedly sexually assaulted over the last one year by 51-year-old Naredla Venugopal Reddy, a donor to Maruthi orphanage run by Chielukuri Vijaya, as well as the hostel’s female warden and her brother Surapaneni Jayadeep. The three persons allegedly used to drug and sexually assault the child.
Though the FIR (first information report) on the sexual assault was registered at Bowenpally police station limits, the case was later shifted to Ameenpur police station under Sangareddy district.
A senior officer from Sangareddy district said the girl was visibly weak, appeared malnourished and hence was shifted to the hospital. However, in her statement to the police from the hospital, she spoke about the sexual assault at the orphanage and mistreatment at her relative's house.
An official with the Women and Child Welfare Department (WCWD) said that the orphanage had shut due to the nationwide lockdown in March. The girl was sent to her uncle's residence under the Jeedimetla police station limits for the duration of the lockdown. The two uncles made three attempts to re-enrol the 14-year-old back to the orphanage during her stay, said the officer.
However, the police are tight-lipped about the nature of the injuries and the cause of death. They are waiting for the post-mortem report to alter the case. The body of the girl has been shifted to Osmania general hospital for post mortem.
A separate case against the uncles was registered at Jeedimetla police station by officials with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The police have booked the uncles of the minor girl under section 324 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.
Police have registered cases against the three accused in the sexual assualt case under Section 376(3) for rape, Section 342 for wrongful confinement, Section 323 for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 328 for causing hurt by means of poison and Section 506 for criminal intimidation, under Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as under sections of the POCSO Act 2012.
Action against orphanage
Meanwhile, the Women and Child Welfare Department has already suspended the registration of Maruti Orphanage. All 50 children at the orphanage were shifted to other Child Care Institutes(CCIs) on August 3.
In a statement to media, the Director of Women and Child Welfare Department, D Divya said a high powered inquiry committee has been formed to investigate into the matter and submit a preliminary report within a week. The committee will consist of officials from the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), CWC, Women Safety Wing of the police and Women's Commission.
A legal advisor has also been appointed to ensure that a watertight case is made against the perpetrators as per investigations and enquiry, read the press statement.
The department has also asked the Telangana police to combine all the FIRs into one and appoint a single investigating officer, not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Read: 14-year-old at Telangana orphanage allegedly sexually assaulted for a year, 3 held
The 14-year-old was allegedly sexually assaulted over the last one year by 51-year-old Naredla Venugopal Reddy, a donor to Maruthi orphanage run by Chielukuri Vijaya, as well as the hostel’s female warden and her brother Surapaneni Jayadeep. The three persons allegedly used to drug and sexually assault the child.