Jharkhand women's panel takes up tribal girl's sexual abuse case

The State Women's Commission in Jharkhand has requested the external affairs ministry to investigate the allegation brought by a tribal girl in Gumla district against her claim of sexual harassment by the former diplomat in Kenya, Ketan Shukla.

The commission has written to the Union labour ministry to ensure the wages due to the girl during her working periods in the residences of Ketan Shukla in India and Kenya in accordance with the labour laws in both the countries.

The commission has written to Gujarat government on the status of Ketan Shukla since he is posted in Ahmedabad as secretary of the Gujarat State Electricity Regulatory Commission.

 

According to commission sources, the 21-year-old victim had worked as a domestic help at Shukla's residence when he was deputy commissioner in Kenya between 2007 and April this year.

She had accompanied the diplomat, his wife and two children to Kenya in February 2007 after being introduced by a resident of Motinagar in Delhi.

The victim in her FIR lodged with Motinagar police station in Delhi on December 3, alleged that Shukla raped her and threatened her with dire consequences while in Kenya. She alleged that he (Shukla) did even not pay her a salary of Rs 10,000 for three years.

Motinager police station registered a case under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) after preliminary investigations.

The victim on December 8 met the state women and child welfare minister Bimla Pradhan at Jharkhnad Bhavan in New Delhi and alleged that that she was denied natural justice from Delhi government.

The minister assured her that Jharkhand government would take up her case with the external affairs and labour ministries.