Pune: A four-year-old little girl, who witnessed the murder of her own mother, a Hindu before marriage, in 2013, has overcome her traumatic past, emerging as a symbol of resilience, scoring a brilliant 84 per cent in her 10th CBSE Board examination.
“I want to study hard to become a Collector and help helpless people,” Radhika (real name withheld), now 16, told Financial Chronicle.
Her father, a Muslim, who committed the brutal crime in Dubai, is sentenced to death in a prison in Dubai, but the child’s agony continued through a five-year custody battle between both her paternal and maternal grandmothers.
Desperate to win her custody and to save the life of her father, her father’s side family allegedly tried offering blood money (Diya) as per Islamic laws to the maternal grandmother to drop the custody case at the Bombay High Court and in order for her to accept it they allegedly tried bribing Dr Abraham Mathai, former Vice-Chairman of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, who was helping her maternal grandmother in Mumbai.
However, Dr Mathai refused, standing firm in his ethics and commitment to justice.
“Earlier, the father’s family stooped even lower, coaching the young girl to falsely accuse her maternal uncle of having abused her sexually in a registered FIR with a fake medical certificate before the Goregaon police station in Raigad district in Maharashtra. The case took a miraculous turn when the presiding judge personally investigated the matter and the truth was revealed by a fresh medical examination and the final verdict rightfully awarded custody to the maternal grandmother,” Dr Mathai said.
Had the verdict gone the other way, this bright child would likely have been condemned to a stifled life—married off early by her radical paternal family, suppressing her dreams, he noted.
But fate, justice, and courage prevailed under the loving care of her maternal grandmother, and the little girl flourished, Dr Mathai pointed out.
Today, under the nurturing care of her maternal grandmother, she is not just surviving—she is thriving. “The bright teenager has successfully completed her 10th CBSE Board Exams with 84%, and dreams of appearing for the UPSC exams to become a Collector, determined to become a voice for others who cannot speak for themselves,” Dr Mathai said.
“She is no longer just a survivor of tragedy but the embodiment of strength, proof that with love and justice, a broken past can become a powerful future.”
The teenager, who was once silenced by trauma, is now all set to rewriting her destiny.
“Her story is not just a personal victory—it is a powerful reminder that with support, love, and the right to choose one’s path, even the most broken beginnings can lead to the brightest futures,” Dr Mathai pointed out.
“She is a beacon of hope, not only for victims of trauma but for a society learning to rise above silence and shame,” he noted.
