Gadchiroli Anganwadi worker raped, attempted to be murdered

In a gruesome incident that has failed to receive the public attention that it should have, an Anganwadi Sevika was raped and and attempted to be murdered in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra while she was travelling between villages for work.

On February 7, an Anganwadi Sevika from Dhanora taluka of Gadchiroli district was stopped while she was riding on her two-wheeler from Rekhatola to Fulbodi village. The men raped her and tried to kill her by smashing her head with stones. The rape survivor is being treated at a hospital in Nagpur at the moment, however, her condition is still critical.

“They could only not kill her because a herdswoman who was nearby heard the commotion, and came by causing the accused to flee from the site. While the police have caught one of the accused, the other one is yet to be nabbed,” Shubha Shamim, State General Secretary, Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana said while speaking to Indie Journal.

Condemning the heinous act, Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana has demanded that the case should be sent to the Fast Track Court and severe punishment should be given to the accused as soon as possible. 

“We demand that the best possible treatment should be given to her by the government.  We also demand that she should be given funds from the Nirbhaya fund to help her in recovery and future struggle. Our organisation will help her in following the case and make sure that the culprits get severe punishment,” Shamim said.

Drawing attention towards the danger lurking around several such women, especially in India’s rural areas, she added, “In rural areas, many women workers, including Anganwadi Sevikas and Helpers, ASHA workers, Gram Sevikas, teachers and many others travel on lonely roads for work every day. Many times, these women prefer to take public transport instead travelling alone on two-wheelers, but due to lack of proper connectivity, it is not possible every time. Safety of women at the workplace and travelling, therefore, plays a major role, and needs to be of utmost importance here.”