Hindustan Times (Jammu)

3 HURT IN CLASH AT RALLY FOR RAM TEMPLE FUNDS IN GUJARAT’S KUTCH

- Letters@hindustant­imes.com

Three persons have been injured in a clash between members of two communitie­s in Gujarat’s Kutch district during a rally for collection of funds for the constructi­on of Ram temple in Ayodhya, police said on Monday.

Two groups clashed and started throwing stones at each other in the village on Sunday evening when a procession was being taken out for the collection of funds for the constructi­on of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, an official from Gandhidham (B-Division) police station said.

The police lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control, he said. A man was killed with sharp weapons after a group attacked an autoricksh­aw on the village outskirts, and the police are trying to ascertain if he was killed as part of the clash, SP Mayur Patil said.

The police later registered three separate FIRs. Two of the FIRs were lodged by the two sides that clashed with each other, and one was related to the murder, another official said.

A 17-year-old rape survivor here has disclosed that she had been allegedly sexually abused by 38 people during the past few months.

The teenager’s ordeal came to light during a counsellin­g session at a Nirbhaya centre here recently,police said.

The minor girl had been sexually abused in 2016 when she was 13 and then a year later. After the second incident, she was sent to the child home and allowed to go with her mother and brother about a year ago.

According to Mohammed Haneefa, Circle Inspector of Police, the girl was missing for sometime after she was released from child home and was traced from Palakkad in December last and brought to the Nirbhaya centre. During counsellin­g sessions, she informed the Nirbhaya authoritie­s about the series of sexual abuses and molestatio­n she had been exposed to. Almost all the accused, who were charged with various crimes, including sexual abuse, have been arrested and

THE TEENAGER’S ORDEAL CAME TO LIGHT DURING A COUNSELLIN­G SESSION AT A NIRBHAYA CENTRE IN KERALA, POLICE SAID

remanded to judicial custody, the police officer told PTI.

The Malappuram CWC president Shajesh Bhasker said the CWC has taken all legal and logical steps to ensure the safety of the child, when she was released from the Child Home, about a year ago.

“The decision was taken by our five-member committee and in consultati­on with the Child Protection Officer.This was done in tune with the Juvenile Justice Act, which says institutio­nalising a Pocso survivor should be the last priority.” “They are supposed to be sent out with their parents to ensure their protection as well as enabling restoratio­n to society,” Shajesh Basker told PTI.

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