Jamshedpur, Feb. 25: The suicide by a 14-year-old undertrail inmate at the local remand home has left many parents shaken.
Shibani Mukhi (35), mother of the deceased minor who works as a domestic servant, along with over 100 residents of Dhatkidih under the banner of Ambedkar Sena, blocked the district collectorate main gate and squatted on the road for nearly an hour on Thursday to protest the callousness of the remand home authorities.
“My son Sonu Ram can never commit suicide. I had met my son on February 17 at the remand home and he had complained that dirty things were on at the home. He pleaded with me to release him from the home, but I consoled my child saying that he would be released soon,” Mukhi said, adding, “My child would not have taken his life unless some extreme physical torture would have taken place on him.”
Ambedkar Sena president Baiju Mukhi alleged that unnatural sex would have led the minor to commit suicide. “We demand probe and administration must provide adequate compensation to the family,” said Baiju Mukhi.
Later, East Singhbhum deputy commissioner released an amount of Rs 10,000 to the family of the minor for performing his last rites and assured proper action would be taken following the submission of the magisterial probe report.
The administration has already removed the present warden Sandhya Rani and has started taking corrective measures. East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal said that steps are being taken for better monitoring at the remand home.
As per the directive issued by the office of the deputy commissioner, child development project officer, Jamshedpur, Sandhya Rani, who doubled up as the warden of the remand home, has been removed of her additional charge.
East Singhbhum district child protection society official, Chanchal Kumari has been given additional charge as warden of the remand home, while Jamshedpur Block Development Officer (BDO) Parul Singh will act as the superintendent of the remand home.