Kamini’s uncle seeks Custody
Rahul Jain says he is aware of the 11-year-old girl’s ordeal; expresses willingness to take custody of Kamini, who attended school with a head injury inflicted by her stepmother on Tuesday
By Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak
Posted On Thursday, April 02, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20090402200904020331463305601aadb)
GIRL BATTERED BY STEPMOTHER
A relative of the 11-year-old girl who was beaten up by her stepmother on Tuesday wants to take her custody and raise her. Kamini Jain, a class VI student of Reubs High School in Maninagar, received an injury in her head after her stepmother, Anita, hit her with a comb.
The school’s principal reported the incident to the police after he saw blood dripping from Kamini’s head.Rahul Jain, who is Kamini’s uncle, said that he wanted to save her from “torment and abuse” by taking her custody. “I have asked my brother, Virendra, at least three times to let me take care of Kamini. He sent her to my home once, but the next day Anita took her back,” Rahul said.
Rahul, 35, said that he had stopped visiting Kamini’s residence as he could not stand the ill-treatment meted out to her by Virendra and Anita. The 11-year-old girl, according to Rahul, was once a jaunty child. “Over the years she has subdued. She is like a daughter to me. I want them (Virendra and Anita) to hand me over the responsibility of raising her,” Rahul sad. “I am ready to go through legal processes (to obtain Kamini’s custody).”
The 35-year-old said that Kamini was a lucky girl as she had six fingers in one hand. “I and Virendra have an elder brother, who lives in Uttar Pradesh. He has no objections against my intention of raising Kamini,” he said. Kamini’s ordeal came to the fore on Tuesday when she attended school with an unattended wound in the back of her head.
The school’s principal, Allon Reubens, saw blood on her uniform, and asked her about the injury. Kamini then revealed that her stepmother had hit her with a comb.Reubens then met Kamini’s classmates, and apparently learnt that she had been treated ‘harshly’ by Anita on several occasions.Kamini stays stoicThe 11-year-old girl seemed quite calm and composed on Wednesday.
She, however, regretted that the fact she didn’t get to watch television. “My mother doesn’t allow me to watch TV,” she said. MOM threatens to commit suicideWhen AM contacted
Anita, she broke down, and said: “Yes, I hit my daughter. I have been a terrible mother... arrest me. If I am driven to commit suicide, I will leave behind a note, blaming her (Kamini) and her school.” Anita said that she hit Kamini on Tuesday because she lied.
“Everyone is pointing fingers at me because I am Kamini’s stepmother,” she said. Virendra, in the meantime, said that Kamini had never approached him to complain about Anita. Girl's being reared by a monster mom: neighboursAM spoke to Kamini’s neighbours, and they said that they had seen Anita brutally hit her on several times.
“Today (Wednesday), when I asked Anita why does she hit Kamini, she ticked me off. She said that if I was so concerned about Kamini, then I should take the responsibility of raising her,” one of the neighbours, who didn’t want to be named, said.Another neighbour said that she had seen Anita hit and abuse Kamini. “If we intervene, then she creates a ruckus,” the neighbour said. “I have never seen Kamini play with other children.”
A couple who are close to Anita and Virendra say they have seen Kamini wash utensils. “Anita is quite short-tempered. Whenever we visit their home, we see Kamini doing house chores,” the couple say.“When it comes to meals, Kamini is not allowed to eat more than one chapatti.” The couple also said that Kamini was often locked up in her own house.Classmate, teacher reveal Kamini’s plight Ahmedabad Mirror spoke to Kamini’s classmate, Mishi Dave, and learnt that she used to often complaint about Anita.
“I have seen Kamina cry in the school several times. She has told me that her stepmother doesn’t treat her well,” Mishi said. “Once, she told me that her stepmother tried to push her down the stairs.”Kamini, according to Mishi, doesn’t talk to other students, and never attends outings organised by the school. “She never comes for class picnics,” Mishi said. “She doesn’t even have her own school bag.
She carries her brother’s bag.”Kamini’s class teacher, Khusbhu Singh, said that she used to stay quite depressed. “She used to complained about her mother in the class. I tried my best to keep her focused on studies,” Singh said.
By Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak
Posted On Thursday, April 02, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20090402200904020331463305601aadb)
GIRL BATTERED BY STEPMOTHER
A relative of the 11-year-old girl who was beaten up by her stepmother on Tuesday wants to take her custody and raise her. Kamini Jain, a class VI student of Reubs High School in Maninagar, received an injury in her head after her stepmother, Anita, hit her with a comb.
The school’s principal reported the incident to the police after he saw blood dripping from Kamini’s head.Rahul Jain, who is Kamini’s uncle, said that he wanted to save her from “torment and abuse” by taking her custody. “I have asked my brother, Virendra, at least three times to let me take care of Kamini. He sent her to my home once, but the next day Anita took her back,” Rahul said.
Rahul, 35, said that he had stopped visiting Kamini’s residence as he could not stand the ill-treatment meted out to her by Virendra and Anita. The 11-year-old girl, according to Rahul, was once a jaunty child. “Over the years she has subdued. She is like a daughter to me. I want them (Virendra and Anita) to hand me over the responsibility of raising her,” Rahul sad. “I am ready to go through legal processes (to obtain Kamini’s custody).”
The 35-year-old said that Kamini was a lucky girl as she had six fingers in one hand. “I and Virendra have an elder brother, who lives in Uttar Pradesh. He has no objections against my intention of raising Kamini,” he said. Kamini’s ordeal came to the fore on Tuesday when she attended school with an unattended wound in the back of her head.
The school’s principal, Allon Reubens, saw blood on her uniform, and asked her about the injury. Kamini then revealed that her stepmother had hit her with a comb.Reubens then met Kamini’s classmates, and apparently learnt that she had been treated ‘harshly’ by Anita on several occasions.Kamini stays stoicThe 11-year-old girl seemed quite calm and composed on Wednesday.
She, however, regretted that the fact she didn’t get to watch television. “My mother doesn’t allow me to watch TV,” she said. MOM threatens to commit suicideWhen AM contacted
Anita, she broke down, and said: “Yes, I hit my daughter. I have been a terrible mother... arrest me. If I am driven to commit suicide, I will leave behind a note, blaming her (Kamini) and her school.” Anita said that she hit Kamini on Tuesday because she lied.
“Everyone is pointing fingers at me because I am Kamini’s stepmother,” she said. Virendra, in the meantime, said that Kamini had never approached him to complain about Anita. Girl's being reared by a monster mom: neighboursAM spoke to Kamini’s neighbours, and they said that they had seen Anita brutally hit her on several times.
“Today (Wednesday), when I asked Anita why does she hit Kamini, she ticked me off. She said that if I was so concerned about Kamini, then I should take the responsibility of raising her,” one of the neighbours, who didn’t want to be named, said.Another neighbour said that she had seen Anita hit and abuse Kamini. “If we intervene, then she creates a ruckus,” the neighbour said. “I have never seen Kamini play with other children.”
A couple who are close to Anita and Virendra say they have seen Kamini wash utensils. “Anita is quite short-tempered. Whenever we visit their home, we see Kamini doing house chores,” the couple say.“When it comes to meals, Kamini is not allowed to eat more than one chapatti.” The couple also said that Kamini was often locked up in her own house.Classmate, teacher reveal Kamini’s plight Ahmedabad Mirror spoke to Kamini’s classmate, Mishi Dave, and learnt that she used to often complaint about Anita.
“I have seen Kamina cry in the school several times. She has told me that her stepmother doesn’t treat her well,” Mishi said. “Once, she told me that her stepmother tried to push her down the stairs.”Kamini, according to Mishi, doesn’t talk to other students, and never attends outings organised by the school. “She never comes for class picnics,” Mishi said. “She doesn’t even have her own school bag.
She carries her brother’s bag.”Kamini’s class teacher, Khusbhu Singh, said that she used to stay quite depressed. “She used to complained about her mother in the class. I tried my best to keep her focused on studies,” Singh said.
