E-Paper
Special girl too singed at Bhopal shelter home for bed wetting
The caretaker of the NGO-run girls’ shelter home also singed the private parts of a special child along with three other inmates for bedwetting. She happens to be the fourth victim of the caretaker, as the medical report has already confirmed the brutal act with three other girls.
The caretaker of the NGO-run girls’ shelter home also singed the private parts of a special child along with three other inmates for bedwetting.
She happens to be the fourth victim of the caretaker, as the medical report has already confirmed the brutal act with three other girls.
However, while the three girls related their tale woes to the members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), she could not do so because of her mental state.
On the heels of the brutal incident, the NGO-run shelter home was closed and the inmates were shifted to a government-run accommodation.
The incident came to light when the inmates of the government-run shelter home told CWC member Rekha Shridhar that the special child was complaining of pain.
Shridhar said, “I was shocked to see the girl. Despite having pain, she couldn’t explain it to us. It really hurts what the caretaker wanted to teach a girl who is special. The girl would be taken for medical examination. We would submit a report to the women and child development department for further action,” she added.
If this kind of inhuman treatment meted out to a special child is proved, the caretaker will be tried under the sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act.
So, after the incident with the special inmate came to light, the caretaker already arrested for singeing the private parts of three other girls and given bail by a court a couple of days ago, may be arrested again.
Police officials conducting a probe into the case said the caretaker released on bail might be arrested again.
Reacting to the bail of the caretaker, the angry child rights activists accused the police of weakening the case leading to the bail of the caretaker. “She should not have been booked under POSCO Act but relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code. In a POSCO case, intent to sexually abuse a girl should be apparent,” Childline director Archana Sahay told HT.
However, Jehangirabad CSP Saleem Khan said police had booked the caretaker under proper sections of POSCO and denied that police were responsible for the caretaker’s bail.
Girl inmates of the shelter home are being further quizzed on the treatment meted out to them at the shelter home and they are being sent to shelter homes in their home states.
As most of the inmates belong to Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, they will be sent to the shelter homes of these two states, said Rekha Shridhar.
