Teen Harassed in Janakpur While Applying for Citizenship

Police have arrested a local official, Ward Chairman Arjun Chaudhary of Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City-11, on suspicion of sexually harassing a 17-year-old girl. Chaudhary, who was elected from the Nepali Congress party in the last local elections, was taken into custody last Thursday.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Varun Bahadur Singh of the Dhanusha District Police Office, the teenager reported the sexual harassment on Thursday. She stated in her complaint that the incident occurred when she went to get a recommendation letter for her citizenship certificate.

The girl, who recently took her 12th-grade exams, first visited the ward office with her mother last Tuesday to apply for her citizenship. Her father is currently working abroad. The family had recently moved from Ward No. 25 to Ward No. 11.

“We had to return that day because they said we needed migration documents,” the girl told Setopati. “The next day, Wednesday, we went to the Ward No. 25 office as the Ward Chairman suggested, talked to them, and came back.”

The girl’s mother informed Ward Chairman Chaudhary that they had sorted things out at Ward No. 25. He then told them to come to his office on Thursday.

So, on Thursday morning, the girl and her mother went to the ward office. They said that Ward Chairman Chaudhary sent his secretary to get the migration documents after they arrived.

“He told me, ‘I’ve sent the secretary to get the migration documents. You will get your citizenship, but you must do whatever I say,'” the girl recounted, quoting the Ward Chairman. “We thought he was talking about the documents, so we agreed.”

She said that the Ward Chairman then told them to go home, saying it would take time for the secretary to return with the documents and he would call them when they were ready. So, they had to go home without the citizenship recommendation on Thursday as well.

Later that afternoon, the Ward Chairman called the girl and told her that the secretary had brought the migration documents to his house and asked her to come pick them up. The girl informed her mother, who, since the chairman’s house was only 10-15 minutes away, sent her to get the documents alone.

“He asked me to come get the migration documents. I went alone,” she said. “When I got to the Ward Chairman’s house, an elderly man was there. He said, ‘He’s the CDO (Chief District Officer). He’s the one who will make your citizenship. Give him whatever he asks for.’ I said okay.”

She added, “Shortly after I arrived, the person he introduced as the CDO left. Then, he asked me to sit for a while, saying he was arranging the documents.”

The girl was sitting in a room in his house when the Ward Chairman closed the gate. She asked him why.

“He replied, ‘Our information might leak. That’s why I closed it.’ I believed him,” the girl stated. “Then he said, ‘Show me your documents.’ As I was opening my phone, he grabbed my breast and started kissing me. He touched my private parts.”

The girl screamed and tried to push him away to escape, but she couldn’t.

“He hugged me tightly. He said if I did what he wanted, he would quickly give me the recommendation and help me have a good future,” the girl recalled. “He started saying it would be even easier if I listened to the CDO.”

She stated that he began touching her private parts, saying her citizenship wouldn’t be made unless he gave the recommendation. Amidst this, she forcefully pushed him and managed to escape.

As soon as she got out, the girl called her brother and mother. Her brother told her to go back to the Ward Chairman’s house, and she did. Her brothers were waiting outside the house. As soon as she went inside, the Ward Chairman started acting the same way, and she screamed. She said that as soon as her brothers heard her scream, they grabbed the Ward Chairman and took him to the police.

“The police asked about the incident. I told them everything,” she said. “After that, legal action began.”

The police have filed a case of child sexual abuse against the Ward Chairman. DSP Singh confirmed that Chaudhary was remanded for five days by the District Court on Friday, and investigations are ongoing.