“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”
As we are gearing up for the 74th Independence Day celebration, Hyderabad witnessed a tragic incident that put our society to shame.
In a heart-wrenching incident, a 14-year-old, who was undergoing treatment after being subjected to repeated sexual assault, died on Wednesday morning.
The girl was undergoing a week-long treatment at the state-run Niloufer Children’s Hospital in Hyderabad. As per the reports, the girl who had lost both her parents were staying in the Maruti Orphanage since 2015.
What Happened?
As per Indiatimes, the girl’s ordeal began last year when Vijaya, the woman who ran the orphanage asked her to go to the office of one of their donors, Venugopal Reddy. Reddy allegedly offered a laced juice to the girl and raped her. But unfortunately, when the girl informed the orphanage warden about the incident she was threatened and asked to remain silent.
It wasn’t only this 14-year-old who was sexually assaulted at the orphanage. As reported according to the girl, she and several other inmates of the orphanage were sexually assaulted by Reddy multiple times. The donor, Naredla Venugopal Reddy, has allegedly given money to Vijaya and her brother, who was involved in running the operations of the orphanage.
The heart-wrenching details of the sexual assault came to light after the orphanage dropped her at a relative’s home during the lockdown. As per the Hindustan Times, when her relatives noticed that she was not keeping well and they took her to a local hospital where the doctors confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted. The police complaint was launched on July 31.
Arrests Have Been Made
Based on her complaint, Reddy, hostel warden Vijaya and caretaker Jayadeep were arrested on August 7. The police registered a case under several sections of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to the Hindustan Times, the DSP shared:
“We are yet to ascertain the exact period when the sexual assault on the girl had happened. The prime accused – Venugopal, a donor of the orphanage and two others including, orphanage warder Vijaya and her brother Jayadeep – had already been arrested last month and sent to judicial remand”
On August 7, the girl was shifted to another shelter home from where she was taken to Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad in the last week of July. As her condition deteriorated, she was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit and kept on a ventilator. She succumbed to her injuries in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Bottom Line
At IFORHER, we are heartbroken how this young soul had to go through such a horrific and painful incident. While she was preyed upon by the sex-deprived monster, how she was threatened to suffer in silence breaks our hearts. While we pray for her soul to rest-in-peace, we hope she will soon get justice.
But, if the ordeal of this 14-year-old doesn’t make you feel ashamed and doesn’t make you feel agitated about the safety of helpless and vulnerable kids, then probably you are part of the problem.