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Victim girls narrated shocking details to probe committee
In a shocking revelation, a minor girl inmate of the destitute home — Bal Niketan — had accused the 50-year-old home supervisor of molesting her often by forcibly making her sit in his lap after unzipping his trousers.
In a shocking revelation, a minor girl inmate of the destitute home — Bal Niketan — had accused the 50-year-old home supervisor of molesting her often by forcibly making her sit in his lap after unzipping his trousers.
Recording her statement before a four-member committee, which was constituted by the UT social welfare department earlier this month after such allegations came to fore, she had alleged that the supervisor, Manish Arora, often called her to his room on one pretext or the other, made her sit in his lap and attempted to touch her private parts.
Another inmate, in her statement, had alleged that Arora used to lift her shirt to touch her private parts. One of the inmates had told the committee that the supervisor on many occasions had allegedly tried to hug her from behind with an intention to touch her private parts, while another inmate, in her statement, maintained that the accused would enter the dormitory when the girls used to change clothes.
16 GIRLS DEPOSED BEFORE PANEL
The victims, in their statements, had recorded that they are mature enough to differentiate between “the good and the bad” touch. Sixteen girls, aged between 8 and 18, had deposed before the committee, out of which 12 complained about Manish Arora sexually harassing them, while the remaining four girls maintained that Arora never touched them. The girls had also alleged that they had informed the two female attendants, Manjit Kaur and Meena Shar ma, about the behaviour of Arora, but they failed to take action.
Sources said Arora who has two daughters, in his statement, had confessed to have hugged the girls, but as a father. He had claimed that he never indulged in such activities since he started working with the NGO.
The matter came to light on April 2 after a complaint was received on child helpline number 1098, reportedly from the Bal Niketan inmates. After the complaint was forwarded to the social welfare department, orders for an i nquir y were issued and a four-member committee was set up on April 3.
The committee had found that the complaint against the supervisor was genuine, after which a case police case was registered.
