Highlights of Some of the Success Stories of Tripura Commission for Women

(1)

Safeguarded the Rights of Hasurani

The Commission provided shelter to Hasurani,w/o Nanigoupal Sil,Kalamchura, Boxnagar,West Tripura, as she was driven out from the home by her co-wife just after the expiry of her husband Nani Gopal Shil, an employee of Forest Dept., Tripura with an intention to deprive of her legal rights on pensionery benefits of her husband. Previously, in the year 2000 also Hasurani was assisted by the Commission to get the maintenance allowances from her husband, when her husband married for the second time. Commission stood by her and persuaded the matter with the authority and came out with success in safeguarding her legal right and she got what was entitled to her.
 

(2)

Saved Tribal Girl from Trafficking

Priti Debbarma of Daharam Para, Bishramganj was married with Rajesh Malik of Haryana. Ritu Debbarma, a woman of the same village, previously married in Haryana, acted as matchmaker of this marriage. But after marriage Priti could smell some evil motive of Rajesh behind this marriage. She lodged a complaint to the Commission on 2.3.2006. Responding to the appeal of Priti, the Commission prevented Rajesh from taking her to Haryana. On June 12, 2006, in the counseling , arranged by the Commission, both Rajesh and Priti mutually agreed to nullify the marriage legally in due course of time and thus Priti was saved from the danger of trafficking.

(3)

Rescue of a Girl from Haryana

On August 25, 2007, the Commission has received a prayer from one Sri Krishna Banik of Hrishyamukh, South Tripura for recovering his minor sister, Suparna from Haryana. Suparna went to Haryana with her elder sister Aparna and her husband Birendra Singh. After a few days Krishna Banik apprehended from telephonic information that Suparna may be trafficked and he prayed to the Commission to rescue his sister. The Commission immediately took up the matter with the DGP, Tripura ,. TheTripura Police took prompt action on it and rescued the girl from Haryana in the first week of October, 2007.

(4)

Established Legal Rights for Dolanchapa

Dolanchapa, a 19 years old girl of a poor family was married with Sujit Dey, a Contractor, Kabiraj Tilla, Agartala. After the marriage it was revealed that Sujit was only a helper of mason not a contractor. At the time of marriage, a dispute relating to dowry arose between the families of Dolanchapa and Sujit Dey. However marriage was solemnized and Dolanchapa went to her marital house. But after some days Dolanlchapa was compelled to run away from her in-laws house due to the torture perpetuated on her by the in-laws. She appealed to the TCW for reconciliation. But Commission’s endeavour to reconcile the matter through repeated counseling failed. The Commission advised her to seek the help of law and also to get admitted in school to continue her study. She did accordingly and in 2007 she passed Madhyamik in Second Division and in the same year she won the maintenance case filed against her husband. The Commission has given her Rs. 1,000/-for purchasing books for class XI.
 

(5)

Shelter and Education for Sabita

Sabita Sarkar (name is changed) while reading in Class IX was kidnapped and tortured by a miscreant in 2004. The police rescued her after a few days. The miscreant was her next-door neighbour and it became impossible for the victim to continue her study staying at her home. On the recommendation of the Commission the Director of School Education took a positive step regarding her admission in a residential Govt. school. She passed Madhyamik this year, 2007 and again admitted in Class XI. The Commission has given Rs. 1000/- for purchase of books to continue her study.

(6)

Conviction of the Rapist (Tewari case)

People of Tripura are well acquainted with the State of Tripura Vs Harisankar Tewari case. Mr. Tewari, the Principal of Jahar Novaday Vidyalaya, Kakraban,South Tripura raped a student of Class VII of his Institution for several times resulting which the minor girl became pregnant and gave birth to a child. The Commission took a suo-moto case from news published in local dailies and took up the matter with Police. It was a challenge for the Tripura Commission for Women to fight against accused Tewari, the powerful moneyed man. The State Government helped the victim by appointing renowned lawyers in prosecution. The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 12,000/- in the Addl. Sessions Judge Court, Udaipur. Then the convicted appealed to the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court but the Hon’ble High Court did not find any justification to reverse the conviction rather sentenced rigorous imprisonment and fine. Hon’ble High Court also convicted three other co-accuseds. In the order sheet the Hon’ble High Court remarked “the victim who was sucked into bewildering situation by threat and fear gathered courage only when the Chairperson of the Mahila Commission came to her rescue and stood by her family”. , The State Govt. and the TCW deemed it appropriate to continue her study through accommodating her in a Govt. residential school to make her self-dependent. At present it is a matter of great pleasure that she passed Madhyamik in Second Division in 2006. Considering the wretched condition of victim’s family, both financially and socially, in recent past her elder sister was provided with a good job by the Govt. of Tripura.

(7)

Maintenance for a Woman of West Bengal

The Commission extended its assistance to the women of others State also. The case of Jyotsna Bakshi of Hoogly is a solid example of it. In brief, case is as follows: Jyotsna was married in the year 1993 with Hrittik Bakshi of the same locality and came to Tripura to live with her husband, Hrittik Bakshi, a Jowan of TSR. But she was forced to go back to West Bengal in 2002 due to mental and physical torture by her husband who was involved in a illicit relation with other woman.
With all sorts of support and help from the Commission Jyotsna Bakshi filed a case for maintenance in the Family Court, Agartala which went in her favour for getting maintenance @ Rs. 2,500/- PM. Denying the judgment of the Family Court her husband appealed to the Hon’ble High Court. This time also the Commission helped her in all respects to fight the case. The Hon’ble High Court passed an order on 9.1.2007 directing the TSR authority to pay the maintenance allowance from the salary of Hrittik Bakshi along with entire litigation charges.

(8)

Conviction of Rapists

The incidents of Rape and murder of two minor girls Barnali and Debjani in the year 2002 shocked and moved the people of whole Tripura. The incident of rape and murder of Barnali occurred on 13.7.02 in the complex of Network Travels in Gauhati and rape and murder of Debajani took place on 11.2.02 at Charilam under Bishalgarh Sub-Division are still vivid in the memory of the people of Tripura.
In both the cases the Commission stood by the bereaved families and rendered legal and moral support to them in getting justice. TCW’s endeavour towards these two cases was widely applauded when in both the cases the culprits were sentenced to death. Later on, the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court reduced the punishment of Putul Bera and Bishnu Prasad Singh to lifetime imprisonment.
In getting justice and compensation for the bereaved family of victim Barnali the role of Nirjatan Birodhi Aikya Mancha, Gauhati and the Assam State Commission for Women is worth mentioning for their active initiation and endeavour.
The death sentence of Samir in the case of Debjani is still waiting for the decision of the Hon’ble High Court. The people of Tripura from all walks of life, NGOs, Women’s Organisations, Print and Electronic media sympathized the victim families in one voice forgetting all differences and demanded justice to the family of the victim and appropriate punishment of the culprit of this heinous crime.

(9)

Maintenance for a Deserted wife

The Commission received a complaint from Smt. Anita Basak (Ghosh) of Rabindranagar on 17.3.07. Her husband Sri Gopi Ghosh, a primary School teacher driven Anita out from the house on the plea that Anita was elder in age than that of Gopi. It is to be noted here that mere elderliness of his wife in respect of age could not be a ground for divorce or desertion. So the Commission tried to reconcile the matter in several sittings. During counseling it was revealed that the allegation of the husband was far away from truth. Observing Gopi’s adamancy to stick to the decision for divorce and denial to pay maintenance allowance to his wife, the Commission advised the victim to go to the Court of law and made necessary arrangement to extend legal support to her. The Family Court, Agartala passed an order on 15.11.07 directing the D.D.O. of Gopi Ghosh to pay a sum of Rs. 1,500/- PM to Anita from Gopi,s salary.
 

(10)

Life Conviction for Rapist

The Commission took up a suo- moto case of gang rape of 2 (two) tribal girls at Taidu, South Tripura. While coming back from Ompi Anandamela on 19th June 2003 at night they were raped by a group of miscreants among whom three, (1) Anup Debbarma, Panchayat Secretary, (2) Nirmal Kalai, Pump Operator, (3) Jayanta Kalai, School teacher, were Govt. employees and their two other associates were unemployed.. As per media report they belonged to have connection with INPT. The Commission rushed to the spot and made a thorough enquiry of the incident.
These two victim girls are of a very poor family residing in an extremist prone area. After detail discussions with them and their guardians the Commission felt the necessity of shifting the girls to a Govt. Home for their safety and security. Accordingly a prayer was made to SDJM, Amarpur. The Magistrate remarked in the order sheet “when the members of the Women’s Commission has been pleased to arrange for their shelter in the Girls’ home the court cannot have any reason to disagree with the proposal and the initiative taken by the Women’s Commission deserves high appreciation of the court for taking arrangement of the shelter of the victims of the case like this nature.” When the case was under trial necessary arrangements for escorting to and fro journey Agartala and Udaipur and their stay at Udaipur were provided by the TCW.The outcome of this trial has gone in favour of the victims and the criminals were sentenced to life conviction along with a fine of Rs.5,000/- each. The Commission is now thinking towards their rehabilitation.

(11)

Alimony for Lalthlanawami, a Mizo Woman

wo The Commission received a complaint from Lalthlanawami, a Mizo man of Bhungmun, Jumpui Hill, on 4th May 2007 in the context that she was compelled to leave her marital house at the torture of her husband and finally was divorced on 27th February 2005 according to their customary law. Thus she was in a worst condition as Mizo customary law did not saction any compensation for her at the time of divorce. On receipt of the complaint the Commission arranged counseling for the first time at Agartala and then at Kanchanpur Dak Bangalow on 13.8.07. A decision was taken in the counseling to pay a sum of Rs. 1,500/- per month as maintenance until the final decision to be taken in the final counseling in Bhungmun. Accordingly, on 7.11.07 a counseling meeting was arranged in Eden Tourist Lodge, Bhungmun, Jumpuin Hill. After a long discussion Laldinpui agreed to pay a sum of Rs. 50,000/- as one time compensation for her. According to Mizo Customary Law the divorced wife is not supposed to get any alimony from her husband. In this case the husband and in-laws and the social leaders were not ready to pay the alimony as it goes against their customary law. But at last they agreed to pay the alimony at the request of the Commission on humanitarian ground.
 

(12)

Economic Rehabilitation for a Rape Victim

Sarala (changed name) was raped on 1.12.2001 when she was at the age of only 13. The TCW arranged shelter for her in a home run by NGO since 7.12.2001 to save her from social stigma. In the last year, 2007, she appealed to the Commission for facilitating her to get a stall of Agartala Municipal Council for opening a tailoring shop as she got the training in tailoring during her stay at Home. The Commission persuaded the matter with the Chairperson, Agartala Municipal Council and ultimately she got a stall in Agartala Golchakkar and started her business for eking out her living.

(13)

Rehabilitation for a Rape Victim

A tribal girl of Behalabari, Khowai Police Station, West Tripura was raped on June 8, 2006 when she was a student of class IX. After the incident she had to drop her study due to social stigma and due to insecurity of her life. She lost her father in her childhood. Her mother, a day labourer, could not afford to send her at Agartala or any other place for continuing her study. The Commission stood by the family of the victim and gave Rs. 2,000/- as immediate relief to the family. The Commission arranged accommodation for the victim girl in Adivashi Mahila Samity, an NGO Home, since 2.01.08 from where for she will be admitted in a School at Agartala in the next session under Sarvasiksha Abhijan. Her case is under trial.