The rape and murder of an 18-year-old girl at the state-run Savitribai Phule Hostel at Charni Road in Mumbai on the night of June 5 is shocking, to say the least. That the perpetrator of the crime and security guard at the hostel has ended his life on the rail tracks does not mitigate the crime. For the parents and the family, they lost the “apple of their eye” as one of them described her to the media. They are not happy with the inquiry ordered by the government which they believe will only exonerate the authorities concerned, whose lapse resulted in the rape and murder. That it happened so close to the seat of power in the state is another worrying aspect of the incident. One can ask the question, what can be done if the fence starts eating the crop? In this case, the killer was a person responsible for the security of the hostellers.
Photographs and reports expose the pitiable condition of the hostel. If her father is to be believed, the victim had complained to the hostel authorities about the threat she faced. Probably, no action was taken. While the siblings and parents of the girls were never allowed to visit the hostel premises, workers, vendors and other staff had free access to the place. In fact, after seeing the condition of the hostel, her father said that if he had seen it earlier, he would not have admitted her there. What this suggests is that the hostel was not fit for residence. The authorities have closed down the hostel, but this is like shutting the stable door after the horses have bolted. If the victim’s family does not have confidence in the inquiry, the government should take adequate steps so that the truth is not hidden and the real culprits are punished.
