New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports concerning the death of tribal social worker Nisha Bhagat in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on Friday, the National Commission for Women has sought a report from the authorities within seven days, an official said.
According to the reports, during a Facebook Live session, she expressed her distress over online trolling, harassment, and complaints against the local administration and police. During the live session, she also contacted the officer in charge of the Pithoria police station and told him about her troubles and her thoughts of ending her life, the NCW official said in a statement.
Commission Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to Jharkhand officials, calling for an impartial, thorough, and time-bound investigation into the case; a review of the police response and action taken; an examination of the action taken on previously filed complaints; and steps to ensure the preservation of the Facebook Live recording, call records, and other digital evidence.
The Commission also called for fixing accountability if any negligence or dereliction of duty is found on the part of police personnel and for providing necessary assistance to the deceased’s family.
The Commission has sought a detailed action taken report (ATR) within 7 days, said the statement.
No woman’s suffering or cry for help should go unheard. Sensitivity, timely action, and accountability are essential to women’s safety, said Rahatkar.
Earlier, the Commission chief shared information about a new support group launched by the NCW for rape victims and their families.
In a post on X, she wrote, “The National Commission for Women has launched yet another sensitive initiative. Its name is ‘SAATHI’! This support group is an effort to provide emotional and mental strength to women victims of rape and their families.”
“Our aim is to ensure that victims and their loved ones receive such support during difficult times, where they can express their innermost thoughts, share their pain, and muster the courage to move forward in life once again,” said Rahatkar.
“In the coming times, we will also strive to start various similar support groups. On this occasion, Shri and Smt. Shubham Kulkarni from Pune were present in a special capacity. A habitual offender aged 65 had raped their innocent three-year-old daughter and brutally murdered her. This heart-wrenching incident had shaken the entire society to its core. The Pune Rural Police completed the investigation with utmost promptness and, in just 59 days, sentenced the accused in this heinous crime to death. Despite enduring this unbearable grief, the Kulkarni couple has established a foundation in memory of their late daughter,” she said.
“Through this, they are doing commendable work to support victims and their families. Their continuous efforts to ensure that no other family has to go through such agony after the tragedy that befell their child are extremely inspiring. Hearing about their experiences and the deep pain that still lives in their hearts today was profoundly distressing,” she said.
“At the same time, their resolve to transform that pain into positive efforts for society deeply touched the soul. On this occasion, I shared the concept of ‘SAATHI’ and the sentiment behind it,” wrote Rahatkar.
–IANS
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