Resolutions : People's Democratic Alliance

11th August 2018, Kohima

* Imphal East Women Police Station Failed to arrest an Army Personnel who raped a 17 years old minor Girl from Andro.
* Imphal East Women Police Station failed to Produce a minor victim of rape to the Child Welfare Committee (which is mandatory as per the section 19 (6) of the POCSO Act, 2012 within 24 hrs from the time of reporting)

Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) received information with regard to a child sexual assault of a minor girl by one Mr. Heikhrujam Chittaranjan aged about 30 years S/o. H Munal Singh of Andro Khunou Leikai. It’s been 13 days the accused is roaming Scott free till date and couldn’t be arrested by the WPS-I/E.

The matter has been reported on the 29th of July, 2018 with the WPS-Imphal East and an FIR has been lodged bearing FIR NO: 18(07)2018 WPS-IE; U/S-354 IPC & Sec. 4 POCSO Act’12. However, the said accused could not be arrested till date by the personnel of the WPS-IE.

We have been informed that the said accused is serving as an Indian Army and now posted at Jammu and Kashmir. The latest information is that the accused is now out in bail which we suspect that it was advice by the Officer-in-charge of the WPS, I-E under political influences. We further learned that the family members of the accused have been approaching along with the local political leaders like the ward commissioners, etc, to the family members of the victim to compromise the matter. We fear that highly influence political leaders of the area are influencing the matter.

The unfortunate area is that the Special Juvenile Police Unit and Local Police Unit i.e. the WPS,I/E uttered failed to comply with the Section 19 (5) and (6) of the POCSO, Act, 2012. As a result, since the matter was reported on the 29th of July, 2018, the child was never been produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) by the Officer-in-Charge of the WPS, I/E till date which is mandatory to be produced within 24 hrs from the time of reporting as per the POCSO act.

We suspect that instead of producing the child to the CWC, the OC of the WPS has been instigating the accused family members to resolve or compromise the matter under the customary law. Further, the Officer-in-charge uttered failed to arrange the recording of 164 statement of the victim girl till date.

We would like to appeal the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Manipur State Commission for Women for their kind intervention and also appeal the Chief Minister of Manipur to direct the WPS-I/E to arrest the child rapist.

Yours sincerely,

(Kh Phajaton)
Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR)