This is part five of the The Quint’ series on trafficking of minors from Jharkhand to big cities. Read part one here, part two here, part three here and part four here. Please support us by becoming a Quint member and help us bring you the stories that matter.)
On a sultry weekday afternoon at a hospital in Jharkhand's Simdega, the minor girl got her wounds dressed. There are fading bruises, cuts and burn marks on her limbs -- cruel reminders of the torture she underwent while she was employed as a domestic help at a Gurugram house.
"I am back in Simdega but still haven't gone home, still haven't gone to my village... I miss it,” she said.
On 19 February, the child returned to her district after spending a few days at a Gurugram hospital, where she underwent treatment after she was rescued form her employer's house, where she was allegedly tortured for months by them.
But home is still far. She is staying at a shelter home in Simdega. Why? Because it's close to a hospital that she has to frequent for her treatment. Her village is located 22 km from the main town, the hospital and the shelter home.
"It will be tough for her to visit the hospital for her treatment if she goes back home, it's far," explained Rishi Kant of NGO Shakti Vahini that helped with her repatriation.
The narrow, winding path to her home in a village deep inside Simdega is hardly navigable by car.
"She will stay here till her treatment is complete," said the shelter home superintendent.
A shelter home in Simdega.
(Ashna Butani/The Quint)
‘Home Too Far From Hospital’: Authorities
On 19 February, as the girl and her mother reached Simdega, special arrangements were made by authorities to drop off the mother back home. The family usually walks 22 km to the town where the hospital is -- a tough task for the injured girl.
The child has almost recovered from her injuries. She said, “It is not hurting anymore but my right ear still hurts a bit.” While the burns and wounds on her hands and legs have started to heal, the injury on her head and ear will take some more time.
Rishi Kanti from NGO Shakti Vahini said, “She could have been taken home but her home is too far from the hospital. In case she requires medical treatment, it will be impossible for her family to get her to the hospital. It is not advisable in such cases to send the child back home till they have fully recovered. If there is any negligence or delay in getting treatment, it can pose a problem."
'Dropped Out of School, Don't Remember Anything I was Taught': Minor
When the girl was sent back to Simdega, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Gurugram notified the CWC in Simdega, informing them about the girl’s condition.
The letter stated that the CWC had handed the girl over to a police officer of the Ant-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), to produce before the CWC in Simdega. It also stated the sections under which the FIR was registered. New sections, including section 370 (trafficking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections pertaining to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) were added to the FIR.
On Wednesday, 25 February, The Quint bid goodbye to her at the hospital. She was then taken back to the shelter home. Arrangements are being made by the authorities to ensure that she is enrolled in a school in her village. Her youngest sister goes to a school in the same village while her brother walks to another village to go to school.
About school, she said, “I had dropped out of school in class six. I do not remember anything I learnt there but now I would like to go back to school.”
Younger Siblings Wait for Her At Home
On 19 February, her two younger siblings awaited her arrival at home and were met with much disappointment. Only their mother returned home with the news that the girl has been sent to a shelter home 22 km away, and will be away for a few more days.
The girl has four siblings – an elder sister who is working in Delhi, an elder brother who is unable to work due to deformities on his leg, and two younger siblings.
The Quint accompanied her mother to her village. First, a 17-hour train ride, followed by a three-hour car ride to the village in Simdega. She was escorted home by police officers and members of NGO Shakti Vahini.
At home, her 20-year-old son told The Quint, "I knew that my sister would not return today. My younger siblings were hoping that she would come back.”
The girl’s younger brother, aged 14, who is a spitting image of his sister, does not understand what had happened to his sister. All he knows is that she was hurt and had to be brought back to the village from the city.
Her elder brother said, “Both my sisters went to Delhi to find work and help sustain the family. She wanted to work because I was unable to find work because of my leg.”
Kutcha houses in a village in Simdega.
(Ashna Butani/The Quint)
The family has four acres of land, where they grow paddy once a year. It's not enough to make ends meet. They live in two mud houses, with two rooms each, and the siblings sleep on the floor.
The girl's parents visited her at the shelter home on 21 February. At the hospital, she said, “They came to see me yesterday. They did not say much but they were hoping that I would go home soon. I have not met my siblings yet.”
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