Ranchi, March 15: Police have arrested the grandson of former MLA Mannan Mallick in connection with a complaint of sexual abuse and mental anguish filed by a 13-year-old girl who used to stay at their house to look after the veteran Congress leader's ailing wife.
Doranda police station in-charge Subodh Kumar Srivastava said Shamsher Mallick, aged between 25 and 30, would be forwarded to jail tomorrow. "We are questioning him now," he said.
In statements recorded separately with state women's commission and police today, the girl accused the veteran Congress leader and three others of physical abuse and mental anguish. But, both police and the commission don't believe the 70-year-old former Dhanbad MLA behaved inappropriately with the girl.
The girl, who was staying at Mallick's Ranchi residence to take care of his ailing wife, lodged a formal complaint at Doranda police station late last night with the help of an NGO and Ranchi district child welfare committee.
Today, city SP Jaya Roy said they had slapped cases under Juvenile Justice Act and POSCO Act against Mannan and three others - they have not been named - for physical and sexual abuse, child labour, trafficking, among others.
Hatia DSP Nisha Murmu, who has been assigned the case, visited the girl at Premashraya, a shelter home in Chutia, this afternoon.
"We have recorded her statement," said Murmu, adding that they had managed to identify Mannan's grandson, Shamsher, as one of her three tormentors after she identified him in a picture.
"Though the girl wasn't able to name anyone else other than the former MLA, she could only identify the grandson among the several pictures we showed her. Apparently, Shamsher used to trouble her very often," said Murmu, adding they would get her medically examined tomorrow.
Murmu said prima facie she did not think the former Dhanbad MLA was involved directly.
State women's commission chairperson Mahua Maji, who recorded the girl's statement, agreed.
"On the basis of the girl's statement, prima facie, there is no evidence of the former MLA making sexual advances," Maji said, adding that the girl told them she was staying at Mannan's residence for four years.
"The girl used to take care of Mannan's ailing wife, Syeda Ahsan, besides doing other work. She would sleep in the same room as the Mannans in case Syeda needed help at night. She also said that on three to four occasions, Mannan rubbed his hand against hers. When she asked him what he was doing, he would say it was only a gesture of affection towards her as she was only a child," Maji said.
Maji said on the basis of her statement, she did not think it was a case of sexual assault. "But since the ambit of laws against sexual offence is vast, it is too early to give anyone a clean chit," she said.
Maji said the girl could not remember the names of the other three, but said that while one of them used to beat her, another person used to touch her inappropriately.
Murmu said since Mannan was in Ajmer, he would be questioned once he returned to Ranchi.
