After the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case, which has triggered a national outrage, another shocking case has emerged in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district, where 24 girls were rescued from a shelter home following allegations of sexual assault.
The incident came to light on Sunday when a ten-year-old inmate somehow managed to flee from the shelter home and reached a woman police station. The girl told the police that everyday people would visit the shelter home and take away girls with them. She added that when the girls returned, they used to complain of pain. The girls were also allegedly treated like servants and were made to mop floors, reports PTI.
The shelter home, Vidhvansani Mahila and Balika Sanrakshan Griha, is managed by a woman named Girija Tripathi and her husband Mohan. When police conducted raids, 18 of the total 42 inmates were found missing from its premises. Tripathi and her husband have been arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, reports The Hindustan Times.
The couple, however, has denied all the allegations and called them baseless.
It’ll be investigated. The concerned district admn is already taking action in this regard. Women & child development ministry is also looking into the matter. The children will be sent for medical examination. Truth will be brought out: ADG (law & order) on #Deoria shelter home pic.twitter.com/pqg94DNJLw
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 6, 2018
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of Deoria District Magistrate Sujeet Kumar.
Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Women & Child Welfare Minister said that the shelter home was running illegally. After a CBI inspection last year, a direction was issued to shift the inmates and shut it.
“CM has sent a two-member high-level committee to Deoria for the investigation. They will stay there today & submit a report, following which action will be taken,” she told ANI.
Meanwhile, Bihar government suspended 14 officials for negligence and dereliction of duty over the alleged sexual abuse of girls of more than 30 girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur.
