Suri (West Bengal), Dec 11: A 15-year-old tribal girl, who was forced to parade naked through villages in Birbhum district for daring to fall in love with a boy from another community, has been nominated for the National Bravery Award. India TV had highlighted her story in detail forcing the district administration to act.
Birbhum District Magistrate Soumitra Mohan said that he had received a letter from the Indian Council for Child Welfare nominating the girl, who had mustered courage to file a police complaint against her tormentors, for the award.
"We had recommended her name as she showed exemplary courage to expose the culprits who had also threatened her if she went to the police," Mohan said.
"Despite her parents not wanting to lodge a complaint because they feared a social boycott and knowing what could lie in store for her, the girl scraped courage to identify her tormentors at a police identification parade," he said.
The girl, a resident of Battala village was stripped and forced to walk naked through four villages with her pictures taken and circulated through MMS.
She had filed a complaint with the Rampurhat police station in the first week of August. The men were arrested, but later released on bail.
The district magistrate hoped that the award for the girl, who is staying in a government run home, would get her more recognition for the courage she had demonstrated.
A bank account has been opened in her name by the district magistrate from which she would be able to draw money once she became an adult. PTI
