Raped by 16, eight-year-old dies of prolonged illness

An eight-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped by 16 men, including her relatives, over a period of four years, died on Thursday.

Published: 16th February 2020 06:41 AM

By Jayanthi Pawar

Express News Service

CHENNAI: An eight-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped by 16 men, including her relatives, over a period of four years, died on Thursday. While the police is awaiting the postmortem report, the child’s parents said that she died after a prolonged illness. The shocking case came to light in July 2019 when the girl’s mother filed a police complaint in Villupuram district stating that her two daughters had been raped by several of her relatives since 2017.

On Thursday evening, the younger daughter, Priya (name changed), complained about stomach pain and stepped into the toilet at around 9.40 pm once and at 10.10 pm again. Since she was in the toilet for a long time, Lakshmi (name changed), her mother, broke the door open only to see her daughter lying unconscious on the floor. She was rushed to a private hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. Later, she was taken to a Government Hospital for postmortem and Chennai city police registered a case under IPC Section 174 (unnatural death).

Priya’s elder sister, now 10 years old, is studying in a private school in the city. Lakshmi, who works at a private firm, had moved to Chennai in 2018 after remarrying. Her daughters were in the care of her mother when the sexual assaults took place. After filing the police complaint, Lakshmi brought the girls to Chennai fearing for their lives. Blaming themselves for not providing better health care for their daughter, Priya’s step-father recalled her as a smart child who was fascinated by police officers and dreamt of becoming one.

Speaking to Express on Saturday, he recalled how she would wake up in the middle of the night crying and on how she would suddenly get lost in her thoughts even when surrounded by family members. The only constant was that, in the last eight months, she kept saying she had stomach pain. Her frequent visits to the bathroom drew the attention of her parents. While Priya had been treated for an infection after the complaint was filed, he regretted never having taken her for a full medical check up.

Behavioural changes

“For a very long time we did not know both our girls were being sexually abused. It was only in July 2019 that we started noticing some behavioural changes in Priya that provoked me to further probe into the changes,” the step-father said. Lakshmi had separated from her husband -- the girls’ father -- in 2015 and was working in a different town. The children were with her mother, in a village in Villupuram district. She remarried in 2018 and moved to Chennai.

“In May 2019, the children came to spend their vacation with us. After the vacation they were hesitant to go back to Villupuram. We slowly started noticing behavioural changes in both the girls, including disturbed sleep, sudden shivering, being frightened and not allowing anybody to touch them. Though we questioned them, the duo remained quiet fearing we might shout at them,” Lakshmi said.In July 2019, the elder daughter fainted while she at school and a government doctor confirmed that the children had been raped by multiple men.

After the doctors informed the Childline, inquiries revealed that both her daughters had been repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted by Lakshmi’s own relatives and their friends for over four years.Based on the direction of Childline, Lakshmi lodged a complaint at a local police station in Villupuram and 16 people were booked under POCSO Act and remanded in judicial custody. However, all of them were released on bail in November and December. “The death of the child does not seem to be connected to them,” Villuppuram Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar told Express. “However, if the autopsy report shows that the sexual assault was the cause of death, we will take action accordingly,” he added.

No interim compensation 

Although the case is under trial, the victims did not receive any interim compensation, provision of which is mandatory under Rule 7 of the POCSO Act. As relief was not granted, the family, which is lower middle class, said they had to borrow money to pay for medical treatment of the girls

Chennai: Dental colleges told to give data on infra, staff

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J V SIVA PRASANNA KUMAR

PublishedFeb 17, 2020, 1:31 am IST

The DCI informed all the 37 applicant colleges about the scheme for starting.

The private dental college should provide bank guarantee of required amount in favour of the DCI, New Delhi valid for the entire duration of the course to a nationalised or scheduled bank.

CHENNAI: The Dental Council of India (DCl) has directed the new (applicant) dental colleges to submit particulars about the infrastructure and teaching staff in the college for approval to start the post graduate dentistry course - Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) - for the academic session 2020- 21.

The private dental college should provide bank guarantee of required amount in favour of the DCI, New Delhi valid for the entire duration of the course to a nationalised or scheduled bank.

For dental colleges or institutions which are governed by State government, an undertaking shall be made by the State government concerned to provide funds in their plan budget regularly till facilities are fully provided as per the time bound programme in the DCI's norms against starting and increase in seats in the MDS course.

The dental colleges or institutions will provide an undertaking to implement any decision of the DCI or central government regarding payment of stipend to PG students.

Bhabha College of Dental Sciences, Bhopal, Chettinad Dental College & Research institute, Kanchipuram, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad Dental College Faculty of Medicine, AMU, Aligarh, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King Ceorge's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Faculty of Dental Sciences Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Geetanjali Dental & Research Institute, Udaipur, Rajasthan, Goa Dental College & hospital, Goa, Goenka Research Institute of Dental Science, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Government College of Dentistry, Indore, Government Dental College & Hospital, Afzalganj, Hyderabad, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Kanchipuram, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Chennai, SRM Kattankulathur Dental College & Hospital, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur (Kanchipuram), Sri Ramachandra Dental College & Hospital. Chennai, and Sri Venkateshwaraa Dental College, Puducherry, figure in the list of colleges.

"The applicant should provide all infrastructural facilities in terms of teaching and non-teaching staff, building, equipment and hospital facilities as per norms of DCI. No student should be admitted in the above course till the formal permission of the Central government is granted," stated a circular issued on Feb. 12.

Also, the DCI informed all the 37 applicant colleges about the scheme for starting or increasing number of seats under the economically weaker section (EWS) quota in 8 colleges for the MDS course.

Doctors remove large thyroid growths from Melghat tribals

Live relay of surgeries from a remote hospital organised for 100 London doctors
17/02/2020, JYOTI SHELAR,MUMBAI

For long, the massive enlarged thyroid glands among the Korku tribals living in Amravati’s Melghat region have puzzled doctors. Doctors would see Korkus, mainly women, with these abnormal growths, known as goitre, weighing over one to two kilograms. An annual surgery camp held at a remote hospital in Chikhaldara has however changed that. While goitre remains prevalent, doctors now see smaller growths in the tribe.

At the 19th annual camp held early this month, 16 people from the tribe — 13 women and three men — underwent goitre surgeries. “Earlier we would see exceptionally large growths. That has changed over the past three to four years,” said ENT surgeon Dr. Madan Kapre who operated on four of the 16 patients.

“Lack of adequate medical attention is the main problem. They would seek medical help only when it became difficult to function with the growth on the neck,” Dr. Kapre, who is also the founding president of Indian Society of Thyroid Surgeons, said. He said the annual camp brings senior specialists closer to the patients instead of the patients travelling for treatment.

Iodine deficiency is known as the common cause of goitre. But the staple diet of Korkus is fish, a rich source of iodine, and there is availability of iodised salt too. “We believe there are genetic factors at play,” Dr. Kapre said.

The recent camp was unique in many ways. A live relay of the surgeries was organised for over 100 doctors at St Mary’s Hospital in London. “Prof Neil Tolley of Imperial College, London, had visited us two years ago and he was impressed with our surgeries carried out with minimum facilities. It was his idea to have a live broadcast,” Dr. Kapre said, adding besides the large size of glands, the London doctors were exposed to a unique technique of anesthesia.

Lack of reliable internet network posed a challenge for the live transmission. However, a company called Valuable Edutainment helped in the transmission using its V-SATs.

Head and neck surgeon Dr. Abhishek Vaidya, who operated on two of the 16 patients, said the operation theatre in the rural hospital was built in 1994 by the Rotary Club of Nagpur South that organises the camp.

“Such large size goitres are only seen in textbooks by most. The thyroid gland is beneath the adam’s apple and it should be imperceptible. But in these cases, the enlargement is much bigger than the size of a lemon,” Dr. Vaidya said, adding the average growth seen was 6x4cm.

IGNOU extends last date

17/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The last date for applying through online for January session for IGNOU is February 28. Fee exemption is available for UG, diploma and certificate-level programmes for SC/ST candidates.

The online link is https://ignouadmission. samarth.edu.in.

For details, contact the university’s regional centre at Periyar Thidal, 84/1, EVK Sampath Salai, Vepery, Chennai or e-mail: rcChennai@ignou.ac.in or call 044-26618438/26618039.

Non-teaching staff seek better pay, promotion

17/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

Over 2,000 laboratory assistants had not received promotion since 2013, said Tamil Nadu Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Aided Colleges joint general secretary P. Manoharan here on Sunday, presenting a list of demands to Revenue Minister R. B. Udhayakumar.

Speaking at the forum’s regional conference, he said, “A sweeper to a superintendent in a college must receive promotion as per Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act. However, despite repeated representations, there has not been any promotion for lab assistants. This is our major demand,” he said.

Airtel, Voda-Idea may pay dues today

Enough time given, says DoT

17/02/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,NEW DELHI

The Department of Telecom will take action after evaluating the sums paid.


Telecom operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Tata Teleservices are likely to make payment for adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues on Monday to avoid stringent punitive action from the Department of Telecommunication, according to an official source.

The three companies are jointly liable to pay dues of over ₹1 lakh crore, but they have informed the Department of Telecom (DoT) of making only partial payment, as per their representatives.

“Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Tata Teleservices have said they will make payments on Monday. DoT will take action after evaluating the amount paid by them,” an official source told PTI.

Earlier on Friday, Bharti Airtel offered the DoT to pay ₹10,000 crore by February 20, but a DoT official said the department could not grant any extension.

Vodafone Idea on Saturday said it was assessing the amount that could be paid towards AGR dues, even as it flagged concerns over the continuation of its business.

Telecom operators are collectively liable to pay ₹1.47 lakh crore in AGR dues as per the Supreme Court order dated October 24, 2019. The deadline to pay the amount ended on January 23, but none of the telecom operators, except Reliance Jio, has paid its dues, including state-owned BSNL and MTNL.

Asked about telecom operators having sought time to assess the amount they have to pay, the DoT official said the court gave them three months to do so and even after missing January 23 deadline, the operators had sufficient time to calculate their dues.

“Before the due date, DoT has sent telecom operators 4 notices and reminders to pay to avoid punitive action,” the source said.

Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road needs urgent repair: motorists

Highways officials say patchwork would be taken up soon

17/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road connects the OMR with the GST Road in the south.

It is a bumpy ride for hundreds of motorists taking the Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road.

An important road connecting the Rajiv Gandhi Salai with the GST Road in the south, it is in a bad shape as its top layer has worn off. Several stretches, including Kolapakkam and Mambakkam, are dusty, as the blue metal has come off, causing further stress.

K. Palaniappan, a resident of Kolapakkam, said the road witnesses heavy traffic due to the presence of educational institutions, industries and development in neighbouring areas.

“It needs repairs and street lights are a must due to curves on the road. Not even the thickly populated places, where pedestrian movement is high, have lights. We move about in the light from roadside shops,” he said. Encroachments at the Mambakkam junction must be removed, said C. Ravi, a resident. “This is the junction with the Medavakkam-Velachery Road, and many establishments have encroached upon the road, making vehicular movement difficult. For now, vehicles take a U-turn after a kilometre and turn onto the road. There is a school nearby and the road gets jammed during rush hour,” he said.

Installing lights

Hundreds of commercial establishments have come up due to the presence of colleges on the road. But safety of pedestrians remains a question. “Without street lights, even CCTV cameras installed by the police are useless. The police ask us to install lights, but how many can we install outside our establishment,” said M. Mano, who runs a commercial establishment at Mambakkam.

Highways officials said that patchwork would be taken up soon. “A total of 10 km of road would be improved by the end of this month. However, it is up to local panchayats to install lights,” said an official.