At 15, she had her first encounter with the police in Port Blair, when her maternal uncle set fire to her school books, including her lab manual. This led her to march off to the nearest police station to seek justice. The police helped to resolve the situation, but her furious grandmother and uncle, with whom she was living at the time, sent her back to her father and stepmother’s tiny house in Port Blair.

Now, sitting just 5 km away from that house, she reflects on her challenging childhood and the battles she has fought, including against the powerful former Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, R L Rishi.

Born into a Dalit family in Varanasi, she lost her mother at a young age and grew up in deprivation. She was forced to quit school at 17 and work as a salesgirl to support her stepmother and father. After freelancing as a tour guide, she encountered powerful bureaucrats and faced legal battles.

Now 21 and married, she feels stripped of her identity and is constantly referred to as the “victim” or the “complainant.” She has been confined to her room for almost three months and lives in constant fear for her life.

Her husband, a 28-year-old with a field operations job, describes the trauma they have faced since she reported the alleged sexual assault by a government official.

Despite the assault, she was allegedly ensnared by another official, leading to a series of traumatic events, including a suicide attempt.

She has been subjected to gruelling interrogations and relentless questioning by the probe team, but her narration has remained consistent and brave throughout.