NHRC issues notice to Telangana Government after suicide of a woman facing sexual harassment

The victim from Odisha was reportedly brought to the city by a middlemen for surrogacy

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday(November 29, 2024) took suo motu cognisance of an incident where a woman in the Raidurgam area of Hyderabad had committing suicide allegedly after being sexually harassed.

The 25-year-old victim was reportedly brought to Raidurgam from Odisha for surrogacy by a middleman under a ₹10-lakh deal with a couple. She was made to stay in a separate flat away from her husband, who had stayed at a different house along with their four-year-old son nearby.

She ended her life allegedly to escape “sexual harassment by a man”, the NHRC said. The woman had called up her husband on November 26, saying that she did not want to stay there, and that she may end her life as the man was subjecting her to sexual harassment.

Observing that the case, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the woman, the commission issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police, Telangana calling for a detailed report, including the status of the first information report (FIR) registered in the matter, within two weeks.

“The Commission would also like to know from the police authorities if there were any complaints from the people regarding harassment of women in the name of surrogacy in the State,” a communique from the NHRC reads.

Published - November 29, 2024 09:18 pm IST