Twist in tale as teen who brought in Falak, says she's a victim of sex trade

New Delhi: With every passing day, new plots and sub-plots emerge in the story of baby Falak. On Tuesday, the focus of the saga which has caught the imagination of the country, shifted to the teenager who brought a bruised and battered Falak to AIIMS around two weeks ago.

When the child welfare committee (CWC) members questioned the teenager on Tuesday, she said that she was a victim of sexual abuse and Raj Kumar, the man with whom she was allegedly living in a guest house in Mahipalpur, was a party to the crime.

It was in Raj Kumar’s absence that she brought Falak to the hospital.

The teenager told CWC members that her neighbour, Pooja, pushed her into sex trade. And Raj Kumar used to take her to different clients in and around the city in his taxi.

That is not all.

The father of the girl is a murder convict who used to beat her, according to a Times of India report. When the girl went missing in May last year, the father had lodged an FIR and had accused people involved in sex trade for kidnapping his daughter.

“The girl said she was even taken to Etah in Uttar Pradesh by her neighbour Pooja. There, Pooja’s husband Sandeep raped her repeatedly for three days. She said clients would visit Pooja’s house and abuse her. Whatever money the clients offered was snatched away by this woman. Sources claimed all persons named by the teenager were distant relatives of each other,” says the news report.

The CWC has asked police to register a case against the father and all the persons named by the girl. The girl, as per the Committee’s order will stay in a juvenile institution.

“Since she has been subjected to sexual abuse and prostitution, child may be tested for sexually transmitted infection, HIV and pregnancy test from a reputed hospital as per the medical protocol. Further, the child should be provided pre-test counseling by a trained counselor," the order says.

Meanwhile, the police claims to have made a breakthrough in tracing Munni, believed to be Falak’s mother. According to a news report in Hindustan Times, Police will bring Munni to Delhi, today.

“We have traced her and by Wednesday evening she will be in our custody,” Hindustan Times quoted an investigating officer as saying.

Last September, Munni left the baby at the house of Laxmi where she used to work as a domestic help. Laxmi gave the baby to her neighbour who passed her to Raj Kumar.

However, Raj Kumar’s wife was suspicious about his relationship with the teenager and she refused to keep the baby with the family. This was when the man kept the baby and the teenager in a flat in Mahipalpur. When Raj Kumar went to Mumbai for some days, the teenager was the soul custodian of the baby. After a few days, the teenager brought Falak to AIIMS.