Odisha woman drugged and raped at employer’s house in Kochi, police delay arrest of accused

While they were there, a couple from next door started asking questions, slandering Rani, saying she was making up the stories, says Ayaz. “The lady of the house asked most of the questions and her husband, a lawyer, quietly added that it didn’t seem possible that Sivaprasad would do something like that. The woman then called Sivaprasad’s wife and told her what was happening. The family – Sivaprasad, his wife, daughter and husband – went to Guruvayoor. The wife said on the phone that Rani had told her the previous day that she wanted to go home and meet her sick brother. We later understood that Rani had said this as an excuse to leave the house,” says Ayaz.

When Rani reached the police station, Ayaz’s friend Hasna came to help her communicate. Rani knew Odia and Hindi, and Hasna helped translate her words into Malayalam. “Interestingly, when we arrived at the station, a woman from the neighborhood was already there and claimed to know the police there,” notes Ayaz.

From Rani station, she was taken to a hospital in Taluk for tests. When they returned to register the case, it was 1 a.m. on October 17. At 4 a.m. she was taken to the shelter house, where she remains to this day.

“It was only after receiving the medical report that it was confirmed that she had suffered sexual violence. She had no prior sexual history. She lost consciousness at the time of the attack, but woke up without clothes and covered with a blanket, feeling pain in her private parts, says lawyer Sandhya.

CMID also linked up with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a trade union for women in the informal sector that also deals with migrant workers. “There is a network of agents – a vicious circle – that involves neighbors or residents of neighboring villages of these women who take them to employers, haggle over wages and get a commission. This woman (Rani) reached Kerala through an agent two weeks ago. This was her first job in Kerala,” says Sonia George of SEWA.

What surprised them all was the casualness with which the police handled the case after their initial proactiveness. After the case was registered after midnight on October 17, the police did not arrest the accused for several days, even after the rape was confirmed. Sivaprasad, who has worked in senior positions in government institutions, now holds a powerful position in a private company. It is suspected that his influence may have led to a delay in his arrest, giving him time to obtain bail early.

“It also shows the vulnerability of the migrant worker population. Rani dropped out of class 6, she doesn’t know the language or many people here. At least she’s an adult. Many times there are attacks on minors and such cases are simply hidden. In Rani’s case, we were able to stay in constant contact with her because she was alone at home,” says Benoy.

There were other attempts to dissuade Rani from filing a case and undergoing medical examination. Amith, a man she knew from her hometown and who got her a job, pressured her to withdraw her complaint, says Ayaz.

Rani faced further problems when her phone went missing at the shelter home. “We got her a used phone and a new SIM card. We understand that he does not want to return to his home in Odisha. From the age of 12, she was forced to do housework by her stepmother. He wants to find a safe place to work in Kochi,” adds Benoy.

Both Benoy and Sonia say the state and all stakeholders – including employers – should be held accountable for the problems faced by domestic workers. “To end the exploitation of minors, the state should take a position that child labor will not be allowed. In the case of migrant domestic workers, there should be a system in place to contact the district women protection officer,” suggests Benoy.