Ambala, 31 July:- In Ambala, a 16-year-old student has accused her stepfather of rape. The victim says she first told her mother everything, but out of fear her mother ignored it and told her to remain silent. When she did not get support from her mother, she gathered courage and told her entire ordeal to her school teacher, who contacted the Child Welfare Committee. After the intervention of the committee, the Women Police Station registered a case against the accused under the POCSO Act, arrested him, and on the orders of the court sent him to judicial custody.
In this case, when the Child Welfare Committee called the victim's mother, the mother asked her daughter to withdraw the case. In view of the situation, for the safety of the student, the committee has for now sent her to a shelter home. Her counselling was also done yesterday, Thursday. During counselling, the student expressed her desire to go back home but also said that her mother was continuously pressuring her to withdraw the case.
Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Ranjita, said that the student will be kept in the shelter home until the mother's counselling is completed and a satisfactory situation regarding the girl's safety is created.
The eldest among four siblings, the student said that her stepfather had been keeping an eye on her for a long time and had earlier also tried to molest her many times.