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Journalism of Courage
The CBI,which is investigating Apna Ghar case,has stated that Jaswanti Devi,incharge of the destitute home in Rohtak,sold infants of the inmates lodged in the shelter home.
The first chargesheet filed by the CBI in the case before a court in Panchkula on Tuesday adds that Jaswanti Devi got the young girls,many of them minor,raped by her son-in-law and videotaped these rapes using mobile phones,making a killing out of the footage.
Other than this,the inmates were forced to work as labourers in fields and every penny they made was pocketed by those running the home. The inmates,states the chargesheet,were beaten up,using a chimta (iron tongs) and sticks.
The CBI has filed the chargesheet barely 25 days after the case was handed over to it by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 13. The 29-page chargesheet nails seven accused arrested by the agency.
The accused,Jaswanti Devi,her daughter Simi,a relative Sheela,Apna Ghar employee Veena,Jaswantis son-in-law Jai Bhagwan,Jaswantis brother Jaswant Singh and her driver Satish have been chargesheeted under various sections of the IPC including rape,assault,forced labour,causing abortion and criminal conspiracy.
The chargesheet against the seven is based on the statements of five inmates of the shelter home aged between 10 and 18. Medical reports attached with the chargesheet bear out their statements.
In the statement all the inmates have said Jaswant Devis son-in-law Jai Bhagwan raped them as she watched the whole thing along with some of the other accused. The rape footage was captured in mobile phones and sold to anyone who cared to pay for it.
In a statement to the CBI,one of the inmates has stated that Jaswanti Devi also sold a few-months old infant of one of the inmates for money with the help of Veena,one of the Apna Ghar employees. CBI sources said there could be other such instances as well where the inmates who had children were forced to part with the kids who were then sold.
An 18-year-old inmate said she was raped in the Apna Ghar by Jai Bhagwan and later when she conceived,Jaswanti Devi gave her a medicine to eat and injected her with drugs causing abortion. A 10-year-old inmate has alleged she was sexually abused by Satish.
