Protest staged seeking immediate arrest of rape accused

SEWA-Union demands arrest for rape of Dalit girl in Kochi, criticizes police delay despite bail dismissal.

Members of the Self-Employed Women’s Association Union (SEWA-Union) took out a protest march to the Kochi Police Commissionerate demanding the immediate arrest of a man who was booked on charge of raping a 22-year-old Dalit girl from Odisha while she was being engaged as a domestic help.

It is over a fortnight since the Maradu police registered a first information report (FIR) against Sivaprasad, 75. Since then, the District and Sessions Court, Ernakulam, has also dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.

The SEWA-Union decried the alleged procrastination by the police even after the dismissal of the anticipatory bail plea by the accused on October 29. Inaugurating the march, social activist Rekha Raj said migrants who came in search of jobs were also workers and called for a system to enforce their rights. Union general secretary Sonia George presided.

The survivor was rescued by the police with the help of a staff of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID).

The FIR based on the initial statement of the survivor was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 74 (assault or use of criminal force against women with the intent to outrage their modesty) on October 17. A detailed medical examination was conducted later. Since then, the police have added rape charges.

According to the FIR, the alleged incident occurred on October 15 around 11 a.m. According to the petitioner, the accused spiked her juice and then outraged her modesty taking advantage of her intoxicated state.

The incident came to light after the survivor reportedly shared her ordeal with a relative, who also worked as a domestic help in another house in Ernakulam, over the phone. The relative in turn shared it with her employer who alerted the CMID.