KHAMMAM: In a shocking incident, a mentally-challenged girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted and impregnated by a person and was forced to undergo an abortion by the village panchayat in Kallur mandal of the district, died of infection that spread after she underwent abortion. The incident, once again, came to the fore about the `instant justice’ delivered by local panchayats.
According to Kallur police, the 15-year-old girl hails from Errapandira village of Kallur mandal. The girl’s parents are daily wage workers. Taking advantage of the absence of her parents, a 24-year-old youth of the village, M Chennakeshavulu befriended the girl and started exploiting her sexually. This went on for more than six months and in April, the parents of the girl noticed that she was a pregnant.
On questioning, the girl told that Chennakeshavulu has been exploiting her since months.
Initially, the victim’s parents tried to resolve the matter with Chennakeshavulu’s parents. But when there was no response, they approached the village panchayat one-and-half month back which had allegedly given two options before Chennakeshavulu’s family which include marriage with the victim or to pay some amount and also bear the expenses of abortion.
Chennakeshavulu’s family opted for the second and reportedly gave Rs 14,000 for the girl’s family as expenses for aborting the pregnancy. It was learnt that the abortion was done at Sharada private hospital in Khammam a month ago.
However, things turned tragic when the victim started developing infection due to botched up abortion and her health started deteriorating.She was taken to Khammam government hospital on Friday.
Alerted by the hospital authorities, the police questioned the parents who spilled the beans. However, the girl died of infection by the time proper treatment could be provided to her.
On Saturday, Sattupally deputy superintendent of police Rajesh and other officials visited Errapandira village and inquired with the villagers about the holding of the panchayat and the judgment given by the elders. Cases have been registered against Chennakeshavulu and others and investigation is on.