NEW DELHI, May 7: Shocked and perturbed over the spurt in rape cases, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought immediate government intervention to not only severely punish the rapist but also to provide succour to the victims.

``The raped minor girls are being left on the wayside without any help for even medical expenses, as under law compensation cannot be given when both the victims and the culprits belong to the same caste,'' according to CW chairpersons Mohini Giri. Although the ignominy and suffering of rape victims could not be valued in monetary terms certain compensation was necessary, she said.

Further, in view of increasing crime cases against women, the NCW has decided to set up a control room at the Commission here, which will function till 8.30 pm on week days as well as on holidays.

Its pre-litigation cell will have three full time counsellors, a legal consultant, a part time counsellor and a police post with two women constables and inspectors. The direct control room number is 3234918.

Referring to the recent cases of rape in Saharanpur, ironically the constituency of Chief Minister Mayawati, NCW member Kailashpati said among the victims was a six-year-old girl who was still languishing in hospital with her uterus removed and in a pathetic condition without proper medical care after being raped.

The NCW team of Kailashpati and Dr Kusum Nautiyal, which rushed to Saharanpur, found that in the more recent case of last Sunday, the three minor girls were raped by their 52-year-old teacher Chander Singh and 57-year-old Megh Singh at Subhari Mehra village in the district. Kailashpati said after the incident the girls and the boy were threatened with a knife not to inform anyone.

The Commission ordered an in-camera trial, presently underway in the Devband court. The culprits are now under arrest and in hospital because they were badly beaten up by villagers. ``But here too, what was shocking was that many villagers were seeking more facilities for the area in exchange for their silence and rushing up the incident,'' Kailashpati said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.