IMPHAL, July 6: In a first of its kind case in the state, an octogenarian lady has filed a case of domestic violence to women against her three sons.
The women namely Khoirom Ongbi Phaja Devi, 80, w/o Ibomcha of Khurai Ahongei Leikai registered a case with the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East.
As per the directive of the CJM, all the three sons of Khoirom Phaja, namely Kh Brojen, Kh Sanaremba and Kh Loten alias Tarun have been issued seperate notice to file their responses to the court on or before July 11, 2011.
Speaking to mediapersons today at the office of Human Rights Law Network, Manipur, the aggrieved mother Phaja stated that she has altogether three sons and three daughters. All of her children have now well settled with four of them being mid-rank government employees.
She said that she along with her husband took up all kinds of odd jobs just to nurture their children. Her husband used to work as a contract labourer in the hills while she earned money working in rice-mills.
The couple had done whatever they could just to fulfill the bare needs of their children and made them stand on their own feet, she shed tears narrating her story.
Further, she has alleged that her sons had kept her and her husband in a small shattered room at the backyard of their main house. None of them had cared for their aged parents. They (couple) were even made to starve for many days with no care and support from the sons. Her husband became seriously ill and her sons took him to hospitals for treatment. Subsequently, one of the sons sheltered her husband and she was left alone in their living room.
Living in a pathetic condition for some time with any attention from her sons, Phaja was admitted to Raja Dumbra Singh Women’s Home by one of her daughters and she began to live in the home from June 1 onwards.
She narrated that some of her companions at the home advised her to lodge a complaint to the protection officer of social welfare department demanding due care and protection from her sons.
The director of Human Rights Law Network, Manipur, Meihoubam Rakesh stated that the case of Phaja has been referred by the protection officer of social welfare department to HRLN and subsequently the case has been filed with the CJM, Imphal East.
He further maintained that there is an act called “Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens, 2007” through which the aged parents can demand care and protection from their children.
However, this act has so far not been constituted properly. As a result many aged people are facing problems while demanding their right for survival.
The case of Phaja is the first of its kind in the state in which a mother has filed a case against her three sons pertaining to domestic violence to women. Her sons have given mental harassment by separating her from her husband, Rakesh noted.
Phaja cried out that she would prefer to die in her husband’s home other than some unknown place.