In September 2022, Meghalaya minister Lahkmen Rymbui acknowledged an issue that many state residents were well aware of: crimes against women and children were on the rise.
To ensure the prevention of crimes against women, and their rehabilitation, One Stop Crisis Centres that deal with providing a range of services for violence-affected women, including police facilitation, legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, medical aid, and temporary shelter, have been set up in all 11 state districts, he added.
Devyani Singh might disagree with Rymbui’s claims.
On October 31, 2023, Devyani’s worst nightmare came true when her father, Suresh Singh, stabbed his wife and Devyani’s mother. Poonam Singh, currently battling for life and in critical condition, had been a victim of domestic violence for as long as her daughter remembers.
“(Poonam) Singh was brought to the hospital…she was stabbed by a knife and suffered injuries to her lower abdomen. She is in a stable condition now and is improving. She was operated on Friday, November 3,” Dr. Badira of the Mawlong Civil Hospital told EastMojo.
Just this year, she had filed five complaints. If only the Police had acted in proportion to the column, Poonam may have just been safe. But according to the Police, they could do little because each of the complaints was ‘withdrawn’.
And this is why it can often be so difficult to ensure justice for victims of domestic violence.
A lifetime of witnessing abuse
“My father hitting my mother was nothing new for me. Since childhood, I have seen him being abusive both mentally and physically. I guess this is the kind of atmosphere I was being raised in. It was a part of my life,” Devyani, 19, who had come ‘home’ to Shillong during a holiday break from her college in Indore, told EastMojo.
Suresh Singh’s violent nature had also impacted his relationship with Devyani. “We never shared a close bond. He was never there for me…the only thing he did for me was to provide for my financial needs like paying for my studies,” she added.
The violence had increased to such an extent that Poonam was staying separately in Guwahati. Earlier this year, Devyani recounted how her mother had to get six stitches and suffered several bruises. “Even after this incident the concerned police personnel tried to convince me about what would happen if my father gave away all his property in charity,” Devyani told EastMojo.
The Police, however, insist that Poonam Singh had willingly withdrawn all complaints, which meant they could do little in the matter.
Impulse, a Meghalaya NGO actively working for women suffering with domestic violence said what Poonam did was quite common in Meghalaya. “Domestic violence is a complicated issue. One day, a woman gathers the courage to walk up to us to file a complaint and that very day she might come again to withdraw the case, saying my husband is apologetic about what he did.”
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Even filing a complaint of any nature is a step not many women can take in India. According to NFHS data, 87 percent of married women who are victims of marital violence do not seek help. Poonam Singh, however, was not among the 87 percent: she had the courage to file complaints, but the police, Devyani said, was more interested in ‘settling’ rather than ‘taking action’. Even though Suresh Singh is now in custody, Devyani believes that he will get out soon. “My concern is that my father is an influential person,” said Devyani. Apart from being a renowned businessman, Sudeep is also Director of the prestigious Shillong Club, Shillong Golf Club and secretary of the Rotary Club and possibly trying to suppress the case,” she added. “If the police had been more proactive and had acted in the past, the situation might not have escalated to this point,” she told EastMojo.
Vivek Syiem, SP City, Shillong, told EastMojo, “Suresh P. Singh surrendered on Friday and is now under judicial custody for seven days.” On November 11, 2023, a Shillong Times report said that the accused filed a fresh application for bail at the District and Sessions Court. The report, quoting sources, said the court sought a report from the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case. It was learnt that the IO opposed the bail application.
If this is the fate of Poonam Singh, who was from the affluent class and had access to resources and administration, one can only imagine the struggles of domestic violence victims who have no access, no voice and certainly no support.
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