The Rapist of the Manipur Girl Arrested
- North East Support Centre & Helpline -

New Delhi, January 23, 2012

The Rapist of the Manipur Girl Arrested
A North East India Delegation Met National Commission for Women
Memorandum Submitted with Six Point Demands

After a delegation led by North East Support Centre & Helpline team to National Commission Women and Joint Commission Police (Southern Delhi Range, Mr. Amulya Patnaik, the Delhi police has arrested the rapist of Manipur girl this evening after five days. The suspected rapist's name is Anuj Saini as printed in the Bank ATM card recovered from the spot where rape took place.

The delegation was led by Mrs. Jarjum Ete - General Secretary of National Alliance for Women, Ms June Rose Vaiphei - member of Manipur State Commission for Women and General Secretary of Manipur Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee, and North East Support Centre & Helpline's Spokesperson Mr. Madhu Chandra and Secretary Rev. Ambika Hongsha.

The 20-years-old Manipur girl was raped by the man who came in a car and offered lift from Gurgaon to Mahipalpur while she was waiting for public bus at around 8.45. The man forcefully drove to an isolated area in Dwarka sector 20 and raped her inside car. The man attempted to murder her after rape. The matter was reported to Dwarka Sector 23 police station and a Bank ATM card belonging to the man who committed the crime was discovered by Delhi police from the spot.

The North East Support Centre & Helpline has sought help from National Commission Women. The delegation has also submitted memorandums to National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Minorities copies to Manipur State Women Commission, Delhi Commission of Police and Director General Police of Manipur. The text of the memorandum is attached below.

- Memorandum -

January 23, 2012
Ms. Mamta Sharma
Chairperson
National Commission for Women
4, Deen Dayal Upadhayaya Marg,
New Delhi-110 002
Fax +91-11-23236154


Madam,

We are writing to you with deep distress about the plight of tribal women, especially those from the North Eastern States who are living and working in National Capital Region and Delhi. Thousands of educated girls from North East India, who had come to work in Call Centres and IT sectors in these cities, are facing racial discrimination and sexual assault. They live in small groups, and are often alone, which becomes a soft target for harassment in their residence and workplace. The North East Support Centre & Helpline was founded in New Delhi six years ago by concerned groups to assist such girls who are in distress and in danger of physical and psychological harm.

We seek your urgent attention on the recent shocking incident of a Gurgaon based Spa Centre employee, a 20-years-old girl, Ms. Sonia (name changed) from District Churachandpur, Manipur, who is a member of Christian community. She was offered lift by an unknown person from Gurgaon, pretext to drop her at Mahilapalpur at around 8.45 PM on January 18, 2012. Instead of taking her to Mahipalpur road, she was taken forcefully toward as isolated area in Dwarka sector 20 and raped her in the vehicle. The culprit attempted to kill her after rape. This is not the first incident nor will be last when such incidents are continuously ignored and left without proper investigation.

Considering this case and the similar incidents happened at Daula Kuan in 2005 and 2010 and Murnika in 2009 and the unprecedented racial/gender-based violence meted to the people of North East India living in Delhi, we the delegation and the North East Support Centre & Helpline sees the need that serious and concrete steps should be taken up by the law enforcing agencies. Therefore, we the undersigned and the North East Support Centre & Helpline seek help from your office to ensure the following demands:

1. Dwarka Sector 23 Police officials claimed that they have recovered bank ATM card belong to the rapist from the spot. They have also claimed that they have identified the culprit within two hours of the case was reported. This message was communicated to fact finding team of North East Support Centre & Helpline. It is five days passed that the law enforcing agency has failed to nab the culprit in spite of the fact that they have identified the culprit.

2. We, the delegation and the North East Support Centre & Helpline which has been helping the victims of sexual violence and racial discrimination from North East India, seriously doubt over the inability of the Delhi police to nab the culprit till today.

3. The Spa centre at Gurgaon where Ms Sonia was working must be booked for failing to follow 9 point safety guidelines provided by the Delhi Police.

4. Ms Sonia belongs to a tribal community of Mizoram and therefore, the culprits should be booked under suitable sections of IPC and SC/ST Atrocity Prevention Act 1995.

5. The victim, Ms Sonia should be compensated as per SC/ST Atrocity Prevention Act or any other prevailing law that cover this nature of crime.

6. Numbers of FIR are registered in various Police stations in Delhi and NCR and they are not taken up to give justice victims of sexual violence and racial discrimination from North East India. We, the delegation and the North East Support Centre & Helpline request your office to take up with the Delhi and the NCR police to produce a white paper on how the cases are taken up.

North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is a joint initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to North East People and tribal communities of other states.

Sincerely,
1. Mrs. Jarjum Ete
Former Chairperson - Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women
General Secretary - National Alliance of Women
President - Indigenous Women's Resource Centre (A Regional Think Tank of NE Women)
Spokesperson - Arunachal Pradesh Women's Welfare Society

2. Ms. June Rose Vaiphei
Member - Manipur State Commission for Women
General Secretary - Manipur Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee

3. Mr. Madhu Chandra
Spokesperson - North East Support Centre & Helpline
4. Rev. A Hongsha Maring
Secretary - North East Support Centre & Helpline

North East Support Centre & Helpline is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to women, North East People and tribal communities of different states.

Released by

Mr. Madhu Chandra
Spokes Person
9716004939

Please read the earlier related Press Releases from NE Support Center & Helpline on the same subject:
Press release of 22/Jan/2012
Press release of 20/Jan/2012
Press release of 19/Jan/2012