Courage helped her kick out rape bid
LUCKNOW: She could have been yet another addition to the list of rape incidents reported in the country. But, her bravery proved to be a nightmare for the 22-year-old youth who attempted to outrage her modesty.
Shivani Nirmal, 11, who lives in a slum in Gomti Nagar, was on her way to the field to relieve herself on June 21 around 9 am when a man followed her on a bicycle. Initially, she tried to avoid him, hoping that the man was only a passer-by. But while she was on her way back home, she could sense someone following her again.
She turned around and found no one and continued to walk. Soon after, the same man caught hold of her from the back. But Shivani did not lose courage and fought for her safety.
The young girl, also a student of Prerna Girls’ School managed by the Study Hall Educational Foundation, applied all the self-defence tricks she had learnt in school on the man who tried to rape her.
Shivani said, “I knew his intentions were bad and it would be hard to fight all alone. But, my teachers had told me that one must not give up the fight till the end and that’s exactly what I did.”
Even while the man covered her mouth so that her voice cannot be heard, she bit the man and raised an alarm. Despite many injuries during this exercise, Shivani did not give up.
“My nose started bleeding during the fight and my visibility was deteriorating. And I tried not to go down till I reached a safe place,” she said.
Shivani hit the man on his private parts as he tried to force himself upon on her. The fight continued for some time till Shivani reached a safe place and people in the vicinity came to her rescue.
The man had run away by that time. Complaints were lodged at the Gomti Nagar police station after that. According to Shivani, the man has been identified and arrested.
Rakhee Panjwani, principal, Prerna School said: “The incident took place during summer vacations and Shivani told us about it when she came to school. We are proud of her and would be felicitating her with a bravery award.”
Shivani lives in a kutchha house and is the youngest among three siblings. Her mother is a domestic help and her father also works as a help in a bungalow.