15-year-old's trauma: Do they really believe I'm a Maoist?

bhramos

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RANCHI: It was a muggy July afternoon in 2011. Magdelene Mundu, a 15-year-old girl from Mailpiri village in Jharkhand's Khunti district was returning home from school. The day would be just like any other, thought Magdelene. She would reach home, eat the frugal meal cooked for lunch and then go to work in the fields. As it turned out, though, the day - July 29 - turned out to be completely different. As Magdelene was cycling down the dirt track to her village, she was stopped by a team of Jharkhand police. "Stop pretending to be a student," they reportedly told her. "We know you are a Maoist."

The 15-year-old was taken by the police to her house which was thoroughly searched. "They found nothing. Then, they told me to change my school dress. I was taken to the Khunti police station where they told me to undress. Then they started slapping me. They kept on saying stop pretending to be a student," recalls the girl, wincing at the day's memories.

Magdelene was kept at a women's probationary home in Namkom, near Ranchi. Her family, meanwhile, got in touch with local social activists who arranged a lawyer for her. She was finally acquitted after being at the probationary home for 10 months.

Magdelene's story recently went viral when a YouTube video made by an activist of NGO India Unheard caught the attention of many.

The police, though, continue to claim that the 15-year-old girl is a Maoist supporter. SN Pradhan, IG special branch and Jharkhand police spokesperson says that at times police may go overboard in arresting wrong people. But the case of Magdelene Mundu, he says, was genuine. "She could have been acquitted because of lack of evidence but she obviously has links with the Left rebels and has increased her activities after being released," he says.

Activists in her village, though, say that the only activity the girl is involved in is picking the pieces of her life and trying to resume her studies. Even though her family wants her to stay at home now, the girl is determined to finish her schooling, they say. Also, she wants to clear her name in her village. "I feel very strange around people now. I keep on thinking whether they really believe I am a Maoist?"

Branded as rebels

Jharkhand and Bihar have numerous cases of people being labelled Maoists.

Aparna Marandi was picked up by Ranchi police on December 8, 2012. She had been fighting for her husband Jeetan who has been awarded capital punishment for allegedly masterminding the Chilkhari massacre of 2007 in which former Jharkhand chief minister Babu Lal Marandi's son was killed. Aparna was presented in the court as Santoshini, an accused in the Kathikund case of Dumka in which Maoists were involved. Human rights campaigners say this is an attempt by the police to brand Aparna as a Maoist since she has taken up cudgels for her husband

In June last year, Avdhesh Bhuinya of Kenua Tarn village in Gaya district of Bihar was shot dead in police firing. Awdhesh worked at a sweetshop in Jalandhar although he was identified as a Maoist by the police. The Mahadalit Commission in Bihar later probed the matter and found a number of discrepancies in the case

15-year-old's trauma: Do they really believe I'm a Maoist? - The Times of India
 

jackprince

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That's the problem with the cops. They also don't have accountability.

IG says "She could have been acquitted because of lack of evidence but she obviously has links with the Left rebels and has increased her activities after being released". Would he dare say something about some influential people's kid. What happens to innocent until proven guilty? Police should not make allegations, they should provide evidence - and in case of children hard evidence.

The cops who abuses their power should be kicked out of force and had criminal procedure against them!

Even a fool knows this sort actions are what leads people turn to violent viral organisation like maoists!
 

bhramos

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That's the problem with the cops. They also don't have accountability.

IG says "She could have been acquitted because of lack of evidence but she obviously has links with the Left rebels and has increased her activities after being released". Would he dare say something about some influential people's kid. What happens to innocent until proven guilty? Police should not make allegations, they should provide evidence - and in case of children hard evidence.

The cops who abuses their power should be kicked out of force and had criminal procedure against them!

Even a fool knows this sort actions are what leads people turn to violent viral organisation like maoists!
this is a common practice, they will have to effects,
first is as you said,
second is people will fear of police to go to Moaists....
in this mean time they kill any citizen and name him as maoists for promotion and price listed on some unknown maoist head..
 

sesha_maruthi27

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This is the reason people do not help the victims when they require the help of the public........
 

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