Thursday 14 October 2004

Police comes to Ambabhikshu House to collect Evidence of Sexual Harassment

In spite of the FIR registered by the police and the arrest of Girish Panda, who had been let out on bail on the surety given by a trustee as reported in the newspaper, our sexual harassment continued.

On 13.10.2014 at about 5.00 p.m. Rajyashri, Nivedita and myself received fresh pornographic cartoons and there was urine everywhere around our rooms. We called the police because they wanted to collect the evidence by themselves and they also took statement from witnesses. Matriprasad, Prabhakar Rupanagunta @ Batti, Purushottam Kothari, Prabhu Dayal Jena and others, were not only stopping the resident-inmates of Ambabhiskshu House from entering but also requesting inmates to leave the premises so that the police could not question them. Only their chosen inmates like Vishwanathan and Ushma, an unmarried couple, came forward to misdirect the police and interfere with their investigation. Anyway the police collected all the evidence, took videos, photos and statements of those present and left.

The police also had a summon for Arunashri in the case filed for the FIR No.213/2004 which was for asking her to present the pornographic chits received by her to the police. But they told her not to come since they had already collected enough evidence and fresh pornographic chits. The originals of 5 pornographic chits received by us are still available with us and 3 are with the police.

Wednesday 6 October 2004

Mrs. Poornima Advani Asks SWC to Investigate Five Sisters’ Complaint

We sent our complaint to NCW, New Delhi, through RPAD, because there was no State Commission either of NCW or of NHRC at Pondicherry.

Mrs. Poornima Advani, Chairperson of NCW, New Delhi, has come to Pondicherry in the first week of October to form the State Women’s Commission at Pondicherry (SWC). Our lawyers, Mrs. V. Usha and Mr. Cyril Vincent, managed to get an appointment with her on 05.10.2004. We five sisters met Mrs. Poornima Advani at Hotel Annamalai International at about 2.30 pm. Our lawyers presented our case and Mrs. Advani was shocked at the situation prevailing in the Ashram (also check link http://ncw.nic.in/pdfReports/Gender_Profile_Pondicherry.pdf) and she said that our condition was worse than bonded laborers.

The same evening State Women Commission at Pondicherry (SWC), was inaugurated and Mrs. S. Kamalini was appointed as its first Chairperson. Our complaint dated 06.08.2004 sent by RPAD to NCW was handed over to SWC and investigation has been ordered.

We really hope to get justice and pray that now the sexual harassment faced by us will stop.