India: Teenage rape victim delivers baby inside police station

Patna: A teenage rape victim has given birth to a baby inside the office of a senior police official in Bihar. She had gone there to register a complaint case against the rapist after failing to get justice from the local village court. The incident took place in Kishanganj district, bringing much embarrassment to the local authorities.

Witnesses said the nine-month pregnant 16-year-old victim was slowly climbing up to the steps leading to the office of Kishanganj district superintendent of police on Tuesday evening when she suddenly developed labour pains and delivered a baby right on the steps.

As the news spread, the female police officers formed a wall using their clothing to afford her some privacy and took care of the baby. An ambulance was called and the mother and baby were rushed to the local government hospital and doctors say both are doing fine.

The police have registered a case on the basis of the victim’s complaint and are conducting raids to arrest the absconding rapist. “I was present in the office when the rape victim delivered the baby. I have ordered the police to register a case against the accused as well as the local village court members who tried to hush up the case. None will be spared,” local district superintendent of police Kumar Ashish said.

The police official said the entire family of the accused was absconding but they would be caught very soon. “Had the victim reported the matter earlier, the action would already have been taken,” the official said.

Local youth

The victim, a resident of Pahar Katta, had gone out to tend cattle some 10 months back when a local youth identified as Munna Kumar caught hold of her at an isolated place and allegedly raped her. According to the victim, the accused raped her more frequently on the pretext of marrying her.

Reports said when the victim became pregnant she insisted the youth to marry her but he flatly refused. Left with no option, the victim brought the matter to the notice of the village court to seek justice. Later, the village court met as many as five times but justice eluded her. Eventually, she rushed to the SP office to seek justice.

At least three rape victims have approached the courts to seek permission to abort the foetuses.

Last year, a 13-year-old rape victim from Kaimur district approached the Bihar State Women Commission to seek its permission to terminate her three-month pregnancy.

In 2018, a local court in Bihar had asked the hospital authorities to abort a 24-week-old fetus of a rape victim to enable her lead a dignified life. The Patna High Court issued the order after the 17-year-old victim prayed to the court to allow her terminate her “unwanted” pregnancy.

The court, however, refused to grant permission for abortion to an HIV positive rape victim abandoned by her family since she was 26-week pregnant. Eventually she delivered a healthy baby girl at a government hospital in Patna in August 2017.

The woman, a resident of Patna, had been residing on the streets of the state capital surviving on meager arms given by passersbys when she became pregnant after being raped. She was abandoned by her husband some 12 years back after a family dispute, reports said.

Bihar has been flooded with rape cases despite all the tall talks by the state government to establish a rule of law in the state. According to a report compiled by the state police department, a total of 11,759 rape cases were reported in the past 10 years while in the past five years, altogether 6,848 rape cases were reported.

This year along, as many as 825 rape cases have been reported till July, which means an average four incidents of rape are taking place every day.