KATHMANDU, Oct 30 - She was harassed, beaten and ostracized by both her family and by society just because her stomach became enlarged. She was even forced to name a person who made her "pregnant".

The more the stomach of Sunita Ram, 16, of Hasarpur VDC-9 in Siraha district, grew, the more she had to suffer physically and mentally. Unable to bear it any longer, Sunita, then 15, even named an innocent man as the person who had made her pregnant. The health post at Lalpur VDC also said she was with child.

The fact that she was suffering from ascites (or fluid deposition in the stomach) came to light only after she failed to give birth even after completing 10 months of her supposed pregnancy.

Sunita has now been brought to Kathmandu through the initiative of Dikchhya Chapagai, chairwoman of Pabitra Samaj Sewa Nepal. Sunita is receiving treatment at Bir Hospital, which is providing it to her free.  However, Sunita's brother and sister, who don't even have proper clothing to cover their bodies, also have no relatives in Kathmandu to turn to for any kind of support. They are so down and out they can hardly afford any care and support for Sunita.

According to the hospital report, there are10 liters of water in her stomach. The reason for deposition of the water has not been identified even after three days of investigation. On Monday evening Sunita was taken for a CT-scan. 

When Sunita was accused of being pregnant before marriage, she had to suffer alone. However, after she was diagnosed with ascites, it was members of her family who were made to suffer. Sunita's family was forced to organize a party for the whole community bedsides paying Rs 500, as fines for accusing an innocent man of making her pregnant.

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