JAMMU: A tribal advocacy group has approached the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), seeking its intervention in the death of a 15-year-old Gujjar girl in Kishtwar following an alleged sexual assault and an attempt to terminate her pregnancy.
The Tribal Gujjar Bakkarwal Welfare Foundation (TGBWF), through its member trustee Kabir Ahmed, has urged the NCST to direct authorities to invoke provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, monitor the investigation and ensure compensation and rehabilitation for the victim’s family.
The minor, from the Chatroo area of Kishtwar, allegedly suffered repeated sexual assault by a government school teacher, resulting in her pregnancy. She later died after delivering a stillborn child during an attempted termination of pregnancy, according to sources.
Police on Friday arrested the accused, identified as Khalid Ahmed Sheikh, a Grade-II teacher and in-charge headmaster of a government middle school in Inderwal village, along with his brother.
The accused have been booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The case includes charges relating to rape of a girl below 16, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, criminal conspiracy, abetment and death linked to an act intended to cause miscarriage.
In its complaint, the TGBWF said the victim belonged to the Gujjar community, a notified Scheduled Tribe, while the accused did not belong to a Scheduled Tribe or Scheduled Caste. It questioned why the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had not been invoked and sought directions to police to examine its applicability.
The foundation has also sought an inquiry into allegations that threats, monetary inducements and a community-level panchayat were used to suppress or settle the matter after the girl’s pregnancy came to light.
It urged authorities to investigate the role of medical practitioners and other persons involved in the alleged termination of pregnancy, while preserving electronic communications, call records, financial transactions, school records and medical and pharmacy documents.
The TGBWF has also sought protection for the victim’s parents, siblings and witnesses, along with statutory compensation and rehabilitation benefits.
The case has triggered protests across Kishtwar. A complete bandh was observed in the Chatroo belt on Friday, while protests were also reported from several parts of the district following Friday prayers.
The foundation has appealed to authorities, media organisations and the public to protect the identity and dignity of the deceased minor and her family.
