26-05-2025
Odiya girl from NICO assists district child protection unit
Mangaluru: At a time when the district child protection unit (DCPU) was desperately looking for an Odiya-speaking person to assist in translation relating to a Pocso case recently, a first-year student of Nitte Institute of Communication (NICO) came forward to help the department.
The DCPU, under the department of women and child development, was looking for a translator who could not only engage the 3-yr-old victim girl in a directed conversation to elucidate her testimony regarding a sexual assault case, but also testify before the court, the version of the child during the prosecution. On the request of Panambur police station for assistance in this regard, the department was scouting for a translator when Isita Maharana, a first-year BA (Honours) student, readily agreed to volunteer for the task, stated a release from the NICO.
The department duly issued an appointment order to Isita, and she was appointed as translator for the particular case to translate the victim's statement from Odiya, the order read. Isita informed that the exposure was something unique and satisfying as she was able to assist the district administration for a serious social cause.
