Dear friends, I am shocked that the Sub Divisional Magistrate Mairang, passed an order against me on the 2 Dec 2013 that I had influenced a woman who actually was being threatened and manhandled by a man and I being a social activist advised her to approach the Police, an order was maliciously passed that the police file an FIR against me and can you believe it against the victim too. This woman had narrated to me and another lady who came with me from Shillong, that she was threatened by this accused and also molested by him. I being a social activist, advised her the options and the only precaution I could think was her reporting to the police, about the incident, so as to also deter him from further hounding her.
Her husband wrote the FIR based on what she narrated of the incident and it was written in the local language, and since she feared he may disturb her near the village she and her husband willfully went to complain, after writing the FIR in the local language. The next day she calls me up and tells me the accused is in her house with the headman of his locality and I call up this SDM, who at first I thought was decent and approachable, and he assured he would sent the cops. She had also informed me that she wanted to compromise as this fellow was putting pressure on her and I informed the SDM of this. Now he himself could be the witness as I rang him up. Had she wanted to withdraw would she have informed me he was there and I even assured the police would help. How was I to know that in Mairang, perpetrators are the victims and victims are the accused?
It was clear the cops intimidated her into withdrawing and compromising and they even wrote the compromise, as the accused was close to some NGO's . The SDM did not allow the Compromise it seems. But I found it strange that he treated the victims statement as a confessional statement so that he can get the cops to file an FIR against me, and in the order which should be passed against the accused he passes an order against me and her. Being a Magistrate he should have known that there was intimidation and should have known that the cops would advise her to be able to withdraw, without knowing of the legal entangles, which I had already made clear to her. Instead of giving her sound advice and assurance of security, The SDM ordered that an FIR be filed against me and the girl as she mentioned in her “Confessional Statement” that I induced and influenced her and that she did not understand what was written. The FIR was written in the local language and there is no way she would not understand as she has passed class 12. This shows the Cops wrote the Compromise and since they could not get it withdrawn they try to make her the guilty and me who taught her to implicate the accused which is totally false.
In such situations, would any woman dare file an FIR now when she is threatened and molested, and is this not intimidation against those who help give awareness and advice? He has passed an order for us to be present on the 11 Dec 2013 before him and no summon was sent to us by the cops. So we were not present.
This shows the Police are scared to drag us in as the incident actually happened and it is out of fear she has had to withdraw and instead of guiding her as to what is the next step and assuring her the Police with the help of the SDM. I came to know that the next date was 7 Jan 2014 that I should be present before this SDM at Mairang , West Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, because I had gone for a rape case of a minor near Mairang. Then the cop in charge, said he wanted to take my statement. I thought it was regarding the case of the woman, but I was shocked when he said there was a case against me. And he asked me to come on the 7 Jan 2014. Then he handed over the copy of the FIR to me and I saw the orders of the SDM. ..No wonder crimes against women are on the rise....especially in Meghalaya...
