Unable to interpret deaf-mute woman, cops file wrong FIR

JAIPUR:A The person called by the police to interpret her complaint is a teacher for children with special educational needs and does not know proper sign language. As a result, wrong information has been entered in the FIR MONICA , runs Anand Service Society

deaf and mute woman in Hanumangarh, who attempted to commit suicide last week but was rescued by a counsellor couple from Indore through a video call, got a qualified interpreter on the counsellors’ appeal.

The 26-year-old woman made a video call to Monica Purohit, one of the counsellors, on March 16 with a noose around her neck. Monica counselled her on the call through sign language while the local police, tipped off by the couple earlier, reached the woman’s place and rescued her.

Monica and her husband, Gyanendra Purohit, run Anand Service Society, an organisation working for rights of deaf and mute persons. Monica sent an e-mail to the Rajasthan director general of police on Sunday, requesting him to arrange for a qualified sign language interpreter for the rescued woman.

The Hanumangarh woman was allegedly sexually abused by her father and – married only five days before the suicide attempt – was disturbed by her husband’s attempts to forcibly establish physical relations with her, according to the complaint.

“The person called by the police to interpret her complaint is a teacher for children with special educational needs and does not know proper sign language. As a result, wrong information has been entered in the FIR,” said Monica. “Instead of making the woman’s father the main culprit, her husband has been made the main culprit due to miscommunication.” Policemen from Hanumangarh Mahila Thana, where the case is registered, have now sought the help of a qualified sign language interpreter. “We have called the principal of a school for deaf and mute children in Sri Ganganagar. The victim’s statements before the magistrate will be recorded with the help of the principal,” said Gayatri Devi, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) at the police station.

Devi and others also took her to the school in Ganganagar to lift her mood. “She is saying that she has been abused but when I ask her who did it, she is unable to say,” said Usha Wadhwa, principal of Shri Jagdamba Mook Badhir Vidyalaya. “Her husband tried to touch her, she said, but when she refused he withdrew. But she did not want to stay at her husband’s house.”

The ASI said the woman wants to go to Indore and record her statement with the help of Gyanendra Purohit.