Village committee ostracizes girl for unwed motherhood

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Kaliapani, March 14:

A village committee in Chindudipala Panchayat in Odisha’s Jajpur district has ostracized the family of a Dalit minor girl for unwed motherhood.

The village committee has ostracized the family ordering the neighbours not to exchange words with the family and imposed a fine of Rs. 500 for any violation of the order after the girl gave birth to a girl child on 26^th January.

The unwed mother who was a sixth standard school girl was impregnated by a youth of her slum last year.

After the matter came to light, the village committee had held a meeting where unwed mother claimed Sadananda alias Nandu, friends with her elder brother was the father of her child before the village committee which was denied by Nandu.

However, the village committee accused the Dalit girl and her widow mother for her pregnancy.

The family had registered a case with the Kaliapani police station on 10^th October last year.

The police arrested Nandu on charges of impregnating a minor girl under IPC 376 (2) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (6) (POCSO), registering a case.

Notably, the case is under trial and the police have collected blood samples of both the victim and the accused for DNA tests.