INDORE: The MP HC has turned into a PIL a TOI report on how a child gang rape survivor was left in the lurch after the state govt promised her free education but did not pay her fees beyond the first year.
A division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla had issued notices to the state chief secretary, principal secretary for school education, Indore collector and the school on Feb 1, and fixed the hearing for Feb 5 (Monday).
The hearing on the govt’s responses has been rescheduled to Tuesday. The court had referred to the Feb 1 TOI report and observed: “It’s a rather shocking state of affairs.”
In June 2018, the survivor was seven years old when she was kidnapped from her school in Mandsaur (200km from Indore) by two men who raped her, brutalised her savagely, cut her throat twice and left her to die. She survived, and underwent a series of surgeries, including intestinal reconstruction. The then CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had promised the survivor & her family that the govt would take care of her and her sister’s education.
Shocking state of affairs: High court on fee trouble of rape survivor
Govt wrote to a private school in Indore to take in the two sisters. On Feb 1, TOI reported that the school had sent a notice for Rs 14 lakh in dues to the Indore collector and district education department. The district education officer argued that the letter given by govt to the school, seeking admission, did not mention who would pay the fees.
The next day, when the news made headlines, the school stepped forward to say it would take care of the sisters’ education, and the district administration stuck to its stand that the initial letter said nothing about who would pay. By then, Chief Justice Ravi Malimath had taken suo motu cognisance of TOI’s Feb 1 report.
The court said: “The TOI, Indore edition dated Feb 1, reported a news item with regard to the pitiable state of a child rape survivor as to how she is undergoing harassment in spite of the assurance given by the state. It is a rather shocking state of affairs. Therefore, the govt advocate is directed to take notice for the chief secretary, principal secretary, department of school education, as well as the collector. Registry to issue notice to the school also.”
A division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla had issued notices to the state chief secretary, principal secretary for school education, Indore collector and the school on Feb 1, and fixed the hearing for Feb 5 (Monday).
The hearing on the govt’s responses has been rescheduled to Tuesday. The court had referred to the Feb 1 TOI report and observed: “It’s a rather shocking state of affairs.”
In June 2018, the survivor was seven years old when she was kidnapped from her school in Mandsaur (200km from Indore) by two men who raped her, brutalised her savagely, cut her throat twice and left her to die. She survived, and underwent a series of surgeries, including intestinal reconstruction. The then CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had promised the survivor & her family that the govt would take care of her and her sister’s education.
Shocking state of affairs: High court on fee trouble of rape survivor
Govt wrote to a private school in Indore to take in the two sisters. On Feb 1, TOI reported that the school had sent a notice for Rs 14 lakh in dues to the Indore collector and district education department. The district education officer argued that the letter given by govt to the school, seeking admission, did not mention who would pay the fees.
The next day, when the news made headlines, the school stepped forward to say it would take care of the sisters’ education, and the district administration stuck to its stand that the initial letter said nothing about who would pay. By then, Chief Justice Ravi Malimath had taken suo motu cognisance of TOI’s Feb 1 report.
The court said: “The TOI, Indore edition dated Feb 1, reported a news item with regard to the pitiable state of a child rape survivor as to how she is undergoing harassment in spite of the assurance given by the state. It is a rather shocking state of affairs. Therefore, the govt advocate is directed to take notice for the chief secretary, principal secretary, department of school education, as well as the collector. Registry to issue notice to the school also.”
