Warangal woman who left home due to harassment rescued, shifted to shelter home

Toomula Spandana Rao (28), daughter of T Venkat Rao, a contractor and realtor, of Gopalpur locality in the city, was admitted to ‘Swadhar Home’

Warangal Urban: A woman, who left her home due to alleged harassment by her father, was spotted by Dr Suresh Devath, founder president of Society for Public Welfare and Initiatives (SPWI), an NGO, on Tuesday night at Excise Colony, and provided her shelter at his brother’s home in the same locality.

Subsequently on Wednesday, the woman, identified as Toomula Spandana Rao (28), daughter of T Venkat Rao, a contractor and realtor, of Gopalpur locality in the city, was admitted to ‘Swadhar Home.’

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According to Spandana, her father had married another woman and had two children through his second wife though he did not divorce his first wife Padmaja (Spandana’s mother) and he had been harassing both of them for the past several years. “I completed my Intermediate in 2011 and wanted to pursue higher studies, but my father did not help me. Moreover, he used to thrash my mother and hurl abuses at both of us even in front of visitors at home. I left home because of his constant harassment and approached the One Stop (Sakshi centre) at Excise Colony to help me on Tuesday evening. But the staff at the centre asked me to leave the place stating that they provide help only to married woman and other victims, but not for women like me,” she said.

She said Dr Suresh Devath saw her at Shivalayam in Excise Colony, enquired about her and provided shelter at his brother’s house on Tuesday night. She also claimed that she and her mother approached Kakatiya University police over her father’s harassment, but the police did not help them.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, Dr Suresh Devath said Spandana was seeking protection for herself and her mother Padmaja from the cruel father, and also to help her pursue higher studies or get some job for her. Suresh also found fault with the One Stop Centre for forcing the victim out in the night instead of providing shelter.

Swadhar Home in-charge Dr Balaraju said they will bring the issue to the notice of officials concerned and ensure help to the victim.

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