A minor Hindu girl belonging to a Scheduled Caste goes missing in February, 2010 from a small village in Palakkad District of Kerala. Her parents file a complaint with the Police, but to no avail. They think that their daughter had been killed and resign to their fate. Last week, she was miraculously found locked up in a very small room in her neighbor Rahman’s house. Rahman lived in that house along with his parents, sister and sister’s daughter. However, nobody in the house supposedly knew that a girl was living with them, inside their house, for the past ten years.
When the incident caught the attention of the media, Sajitha told the media that she had voluntarily left her house to live with Rahman and that it was her choice to live confined to a small room for ten years without any connection with the outside world. Without giving it any further thought, social media and some sections of media in Kerala immediately portrayed it as a case of ‘true love’ between a Hindu girl and a Muslim man, where the Hindu girl had to make huge sacrifices to live with her loved one.
Kerala Police has told the media that Sajitha was not a minor at the time she went missing. That claim and the statements given by Sajitha were cited by Police to refuse to register a case. Now the actions of Kerala Police are under scanner with a complaint filed by the legal advocacy group Kerala People’s Front.
“Kerala Police is dragging its feet and making false statements to media to support the false narrative being spread through media and social media that the case is one of “eternal love” between Sajitha and Rehman”, states the complaint filed before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
As per the complaint, Sajitha was born in April, 1992 and she was a minor in February, 2010 when she was reported missing by her parents. It states that irrespective of whether she went voluntarily with Rahman or was kidnapped by him, an offence under Section 361 of IPC (kidnapping from lawful guardian) will have to be registered by Police.
The complaint also states that the statements of Sajitha made after coming out of captivity for 10 years should not be accepted at face value as she could be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. The complaint demands that Sajitha be evaluated by medical experts before the Police acts based on her statement.
It also makes a serious note of the possibility of Sajitha still being held against her consent, and seeks immediate intervention by the NCPCR.
Since the woman reportedly belongs to the Scheduled Caste, the complaint also seeks registration of an FIR against Rahman and his family under Sections 344, 346, 361, 365, 366, 367 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Sections 3(1)(w) and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Interestingly, Sajitha who made her initial appearances before the media wearing a headscarf has today appeared before the media without the headscarf, sporting a tilak on her forehead.
“What was portrayed as a case of ‘eternal love’ is turning out to be a sordid tale of kidnapping and mental torture”, the complainant said speaking to The Commune.
The parents of Rahman have told the media that their son is lying about Sajitha living in their house for 10 years. There are many unanswered questioned in the case. However, it is noteworthy to mention that the Kerala Police has not even registered a case to start an investigation, despite mounting pressure.
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