Ranjana BC, Kailali—At around 5 am on Tuesday, Chandra Acharya started writhing in labor pains. There were no relatives at home. When the people nearby did not wake up, she went outside the house to ask for help. She was rescued after struggling on the road for about 4 hours.

On Tuesday morning, after struggling for four hours on the road, she crawled to the house of a Pandey family she knew. It was the house of the same Pandey who had assured her that ‘we will help you remember when you are in trouble’. But, ironically! The people of the house with whom she had reached there did not even let her go to the gate. Instead, they chased her away from there. What happened next – Chandra does not remember anything.

At 9:10 am on Tuesday, a local called police constable Chandrika Deuba, who was working at the Khairana police station, and said, “A woman is struggling here. Sir, I need to come.” She immediately left her house and reached the spot.

Deuba narrated what she saw at the scene, saying, ‘I was shocked when I reached there. She (Chandra) was writhing on the road. People gathered around her and watched. No one dared to go near her. The crowd didn’t even know why she was writhing. Everyone seemed to be just making videos. When I went closer, I saw that she was in labor. Later, even when I called other women, no one came close.’

The police constable from Khairana also went with Deuba. He did not go near him because he was a man. Chandra was unconscious in pain. Instead of helping her, the women in the crowd were accusing her – ‘Whose child is this? Earlier, she used to say no.’ At that moment, the crowd became busy filming and watching the laughter. Police constable Chandrika, even though she was alone, bravely continued to help her. After intense labor pains, Chandra gave birth to a son at around 11 am.

Shortly after, the video of Chandra being beaten went viral on social media. Police constable Chandrika started receiving congratulations for her brave act. Instead of congratulating her, she was trying to take Chandra to the nearest hospital so that she would not be in further danger. Immediately, a team from Padyama Hospital in Godavari Municipality-1 reached the spot with an ambulance. And, Chandra was rescued and taken to the hospital.

By now, various media outlets had reported that she had given birth to a baby on the way. Some mainstream media outlets even wrote that her mental state was not good. When Kantipurkarmi reached the hospital, the baby was in Chandrika’s arms. The mother and the baby were looking at each other. According to the conversation with her, her mental state is normal. When she inquired about the home address she had given and the school she attended, it was confirmed that Surkhet was her birthplace.

Chandrika said that her home is in Melkuna, Surkhet. Her parents are deceased and her brother and sister are married. She came to Kailali from Surkhet 2 years ago for employment. She said that she married Dammar Joshi from Bajhang while living there. Joshi, who had left to go to India for employment, is now out of contact. She had been working in shops in Attariya and earning a living by renting a room.

After the check-up, the doctors involved in the treatment have said that the health condition of the mother and the child is normal. She is currently in the hospital ward of Padma. Drishti Foundation Kailali President Kalpana Bhatta also reached the hospital to meet her. Bhatta said that Chandrika will be brought to the Drishti Foundation tomorrow considering her health condition.