In a shocking incident, a 10-year-old girl was raped by a 30-year-old man identified as Vijay Paswan, a native of Jharkhand. The brutal assault occurred in the Jhagadia industrial area of Gujarat’s Bharuch district on Monday, December 16.
According to the police statement, the incident took place when the young victim was playing near her makeshift home. Paswan, a fellow factory worker of her father abducted her and took her to nearby bushes.
In the heinous act of violence, Paswan not only raped her but deliberately caused severe physical trauma by inserting an iron rod into her private parts.
After the assault, Paswan fled the scene, leaving her bleeding. Upon hearing her desperate cries for help, the victim’s mother rushed to the scene where she found her in a critical condition.
Subsequently, the victim was taken to a civil hospital in Bharuch. However, due to the severity of inquiries in her waist, she was immediately referred to a government hospital in Vadodara.
Superintendent of police (SP), Mayur Chawda stated that the preliminary investigations revealed this was not an isolated incident, the accused had sexually assaulted the girl last month as well.
Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested Paswan, who is married with two children.
Political row
Soon after the heinous rape case came to light, it sparked a huge political row between the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jharkhand Congress.
The political blame game escalated after Jharkhand’s minister Dipika Pandey Singh on Wednesday, December 18, visited the state-run SSG Hospital in Vadodara, where the survivor is being treated, and targeted Gujarat over migrant labourers.
Singh and two officers met the girl’s parents and doctors at the hospital. She told reporters that Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren had approved financial assistance of Rs 4.5 lakh for the family.
“Our concern is that the girl must get proper medical treatment. Many migrant workers of Jharkhand work in Gujarat. It is also a matter of concern whether adequate measures are being taken for their safety and whether the companies which hire them take care of their welfare,” she said.
The Congress leader further said the authorities and companies should ensure that children of migrant workers attend schools. She also stressed that creches should be provided to the families so they can go to work without worrying about the safety of their children.
The minister of rural development and panchayati raj in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government said they are ready to airlift the child if the need arises and shift her to another hospital outside Gujarat.
“We have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic that migrant workers from Jharkhand were not given proper treatment here. The Jharkhand government had run special trains and flights to bring them home. The (Gujarat) government should work sensitively and prepare policies to ensure the safety and security of migrant labourers,” said Singh, adding that many people from her state work in Gujarat.
“If they go back, Gujarat’s industrial belt will grind to a halt. Thus, the Gujarat government should take up their responsibility and work for their welfare,” said Singh.
Reaction from BJP
Her visit prompted a strong reaction from Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel who accused the Congress of “politicizing” the serious crime. He stated that “Congress is attempting to sensationalise the incident.”
“I just had a talk with the doctors and police officers about this case. Despite doing our best, Congress is deliberately trying to politicise the issue. The party believes in sensationalism. Congress is trying to turn this serious crime into a political issue, which would adversely affect the mental health of the survivor and her family,” said Patel.
(With inputs from PTI)
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