Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked Bargarh District Magistrate to submit an action taken report (ATR) in connection with the payment of compensation to the relatives of a 12-year-old minor girl who was sexually abused by a married man in 2019.
The NHRC issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by rights activist Himanshu Sekhar Nayak, who has sought Rs 15 lakh compensation for the victim and stringent action against the culprit.
The issue came to fore after the girl was found five months’ pregnant May 26, 2019. Subsequently, her family members lodged a case (129/19) with Barpalli police under POCSO Act. The accused was later arrested. Bargrh Superintendent of Police, in a report to the NHRC, asserted that the allegations were found to be true during investigation and medical examination of the victim. The Collector of Baragrh had also sent a report to the NHRC mentioning that a team formed by CDMO and DCPU of Bargarh examined the victim and sent her to VIMSAR at Burla for further treatment.
After perusal of the reports, NHRC directed the Collector to submit the ATR within six weeks.