BHOPAL: A four year old girl who was allegedly abducted and raped by father’s close friend in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday late night was airlifted to New Delhi on Wednesday for advanced medical treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Confirming the development, the Satna district collector Mukesh Shukla said though the girl’s condition was stable at the hospital in Satna, a team of doctors from Jabalpur also took stock of her treatment on Tuesday, after which it was decided to airlift her for treatment at AIIMS-Delhi to ensure her speedy recovery. She was subsequently air-lifted to New Delhi in an air-ambulance on Tuesday.
Also, a team of surgeons had performed life-saving surgery in Satna on Monday night, which ensured that her condition remained stable.
The minor was abducted in sleep from her house by the accused 23-year-old Mahendra (her father’s close friend) in Panna village in Uchehra area of Satna district on Sunday late night. The accused took the minor to the adjoining jungles and sexually assaulted her.
On finding their daughter missing, the girl’s kin and neighbours searched the minor in the village and finally found her in the neighbouring jungles. The accused who had consumed food in the girl’s house only that evening was subsequently nabbed by the villagers and handed over to the Uchehra police.
MP CM writes to Chief Justice of India for fast tracking appeals in rape cases
In a related development, the Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written to the Chief Justice of India, requesting him to expedite the hearing of appeals in rape cases by setting up of Fast Track Higher Courts or making an arrangement in the current hearing system to accord high priority to such cases.
In the letter written on Monday, Chouhan has mentioned “Though, the judiciary has taken every care to establish rule of law and punish the culprits, it’s also our duty to bring peace and harmony in the society. As Honourable CJI, you are aware that the Indore, where the investigation was completed in seven days and trial in another 22 days, but until and unless appeals are decided by the High Courts and the apex court expeditiously, justice cannot be said to be done. I do not say that an accused doesn’t have a right to fair trial, but speedy trial reduces the psychological sufferings of a rape victim and also sets an example for others.”
On the other hand Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Ajay Singh questioned on Tuesday that before writing a letter to the CJI, the MP CM should have first done a reality check about his own past announcements. “After the 2012 New Delhi Nirbhaya gang rape case, the CM had announced constituting fast track court in every district. In 2013 also, the CM had announced establishing establishing 52 sessions and 86 lower courts for hearing the cases of crime against women. The CM, before writing to the CJI, should first take stock and answer whether he fulfilled his own announcements or not.”
Singh also alleged that even the medical treatment of the four year old rape survivor girl in Satna was started at the hospital ten hours after the ghastly incident and that too when local Congress MLA Yadvendra Singh went to the hospital and met the doctors personally.