Sipu Jha
BENGALURU: In a case that initially stunned the city, a class 9 student had accused her mother of sexually harassing and assaulting her in the guise of “teaching” her about post-marital intimacy. But in a dramatic twist, the girl has told a juvenile court that there was no sexual misconduct and that she was only angry with her mother for punishing her for her mischievous behaviour.The case, which surfaced in late June, shook the parent community and baffled police officers. While investigators have handled several cases of fathers or step-fathers accused of sexually abusing their daughters, they said it was the first instance on record of a mother being booked for such allegations.The girl lived with her 45-year-old mother, who works in a private company. She has an elder sister pursuing a degree in the city. Her father lived separately due to differences with the mother. The girl is a student at a well-known school in the central business district.The misconduct allegation surfaced when the girl told her counsellor that her mother would touch her inappropriately, justifying it as sex education needed for her future life. The counsellor approached the jurisdictional police and filed a complaint on the girl’s behalf.“But things were different when our woman staffers tried to record her statement,” a police source said. “At first, the girl flatly refused to talk. As days went by, she grew defiant, even questioning why police were interfering in her personal matters. Eventually, we had to rely on the statements of her mother and sister. Recently, however, the girl appeared before the juvenile court and told the judge that there had been no inappropriate touch — only that her mother would beat her up. This version will now be incorporated into the chargesheet, which is set to be filed soon,” the source added.Family blames western influenceInterestingly, statements of the girl’s mother and sister had one factor in common: the minor was influenced by western culture and lifestyle from social media and movies. “She was more interested in studying the juvenile laws of foreign countries; she was thrilled to hear that some countries punish parents for beating up their children. Often, she discussed student life in America and other countries, where those above 18 years of age make their own decisions and live independently by doing part-time jobs,” a source said. “The mother and sister’s statements said the girl sometimes behaved adamantly, resulting in getting beatings,” sources said.When the allegation was made by the schoolgirl, her mother was booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, a provision that punishes cruelty to children by any person who has actual charge or control over them. It specifies that if such individuals assault, abandon, abuse, expose, or wilfully neglect a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering, they can face imprisonment and a fine.
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