Suseela's Story

Innocent Suseela saved from prison walls

When I returned after going to other districts for the animation programme, one of my companions told me about a your girl Suseela . I went to the prison immediately. The lady Jawans told me , Madam this girl is falling down unconscious every day at the same time. She was only 13, but wrote her age 18 to keep her in the prison. I called the girl aside and asked her about her life . She had no parents no brothers or sisters. She was kept in a lawyer,s house as a domestic servant. The house maid was an arrogant woman. Her daughter was in my school more or less of the same age of Suseela. For any small mistake she used to scold her and sometimes beat her . A few times cut money from her megure salary. One day the mother scolded her saying that she had taken her Rs. 200/- which she kept on the table. In spite of saying the truth, the woman accused her , called a police and handed over her. The police took her and beat her mercilessly in the police station until she fell unconscious. Since then Suseela was falling on the ground at the same time unconscious and later on come back to life.

The following day I went to the school where the boy was studying . He was a student of 10th class. With the permission of the Headmaster, I met few of his friends and got the news of his birthday celebration few days back. The boy was called by the Headmaster and in his room , I questioned him about the money for the birthday party. First he said, his father gave later on he admitted that he had taken the money from the table without saying to anybody. I thanked H.M. and went to the lawyer. He received me in his office and gave me a good treat. Then I opened the subject. He blamed the girl Suseela for taking money Rs. 200/- I spoke to him about my visit to the school and meeting his son who had taken the money. He could not believe it . The boy was called in front of me and he had to say the truth to his father . The father did not even know that his wife had handed over the girl to police and then to the prison. 

Then slowly I asked him, what is the next step? I said to the lawyer, you being a lawyer will know what is the next step. Let her be in the prison, he said. No, I said, you being a lawyer do whatever is to be done and get Suseela out of prison. She is after all is the same age of your daughter studying in my school. I sat and made him to follow the procedure including the surety and got the girl out of prison after two days. I left her under the care of some good nuns and later on got married. I was present for her marriage with some of our volunteers. Today she is the mother of two children having a happy life with her husband.