The main focus of EMPOWER PEOPLE lies on awareness raising and sensitization trainings for law enforcement agencies. The organization is also offering direct victim support and assistance to women vulnerable to human trafficking and domestic violence.BALANGIR: A police team from Karnataka visited the village of a migrant labourer, who was allegedly raped at a brick kiln in that state, in Balangir district on Wednesday.
The girl was allegedly raped by the kiln owner's son, Venkatesh, in February. Following a complaint, police had rescued the girl on March 3 and sent her back home to Admundi village in Khaprakhol block.
The Karnataka police team, which was led by ASI (Chikkaballapur police station) V Narayan Swami and accompanied by the Balangir district labour officer, said it was in the village as part of the investigation into the alleged rape.
"We are here to interrogate the victim and her parents apart from meeting other migrants from the village," said Swami.
Reacting to the crimes against Oriya labourers in brick kilns in the southern states, Sanjaya Mishra, a researcher studying migration, accused the state government of not doing enough to curb the menace.
"The Gujarat government takes serious note of torture of migrants by sending powerful representatives such as an MLA or some minister to the place of occurrence. The Orissa government must also act in a similar manner. Unless the state government expresses its concern by pressing some people's representative into handling the job, the Karnataka or the Andhra Pradesh government won't take the matter seriously," Mishra said. (TOI)
