Mother files complaint to DGP and Social Welfare Director against staff of Women Helpline
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 04 2018: One Khundongbam ongbi Thoibi Devi of Khangabok Makha Leikai, Thoubal, has filed a complaint to DGP Manipur Police (which has also reached the Director of Social Welfare Department), Manipur, for taking up immediate actions verify the whereabouts of her daughter who has been missing since August 29, after alleged unjustified intervention by a staff of Women Helpline.

As per the complaint, Khundongbam Thoibi claimed that her daughter, Kh Leishembi Chanu, who is married to one Moirangthem Deben of Khangabok Makha Leikai (presently staying in a rented house at Sagolband Sayang Kurao Makhong) has been missing from a shelter home, Women's Worth Organization, located at Nagamapal Kangjabi Machin, since August 29.She claimed that on August 28, the day before her daughter went missing, Thoibi was informed by her son in-law that her daughter had gone out to buy mosquito coils from a nearby shop but failed to come back home.

After thorough a discussion with her (Thoibi) husband and Deben, the family members decided to lodge a missing person report at Imphal PS early the next day.

Then on August 30, a day after the missing person report was lodged, Thoibi was informed by Deben that after leaving the rent house, Leishembi had taken shelter in a shelter home run by Women's Worth Organization.

He also informed the complainant that it was learnt that on August 29, Leishembi had left the shelter home as well without informing anyone, at around 6 pm.

The complaint further stated that Deben made a phone call to Women Helpline number 181 regarding the incident and accordingly, Thoibi along with her husband visited Women Helpline on August 31.After reaching the office, one Gurumayum Rabi Sharma of Keishampat Keisham Leikai, a staff of the Women Helpline, informed them that they (Women Helpline) received a distress call through their helpline number 181 from Leishembi and thereafter, she was sent to the shelter home Women's Worth Organisation on August 28.It continued that on the next day, G Rabi visited the said shelter home at around 9.30 am and gave counselling to Leishembi.

Then in the evening, at around 6 pm, the staff of the shelter home found that Leishembi had gone missing from the home and a written report was lodged to Imphal PS.

Mention may be made that the State Government established Women Helpline last year so as to provide a toll free 24 hours service to women affected by violence seeking support and information, along with the primary objective of facilitating crisis and non crisis intervention through referral to the appropriate agencies such as police/hospital/ambulance services, District Legal Services Authority, protection officers and one stop centres etc.

The Women Helpline functions under the standard operating procedures as prescribed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

As per the complaint submitted to the DGP, the complainant/mother of the missing woman, alleged that the staff of Women Helpline blatantly violated the standard operating procedures while handling the matter regarding her daughter as he is not authorized to send her daughter to the shelter home under any circumstance.

It also alleged that his unauthorized counselling and steps taken while dealing with the matter provoked her daughter to leave the shelter home as well and ever since then, her whereabouts has not been known till date.

The complainant further called for immediate disengagement of the staff concerned from Women Helpline and to take up further necessary corrective measures so as to avoid such unwanted incident in the future.

The complainant also appealed to the authority concerned to take up necessary steps to locate her daughter at the earliest, apart from taking up punitive action against the staff without further delay by immediately removing him from the Women Helpline.

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