Taking suo motu cognisance of three girls escaping from Ashiana children’s home in Chandigarh, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission has sought a report from the UT home secretary by July 3.
Located in Sector 15, Ashiana is a home for children who are orphans, abandoned or are victims of crimes.
On May 14, three minor girls, including two 17-year-olds and one 15-year-old, had escaped from the children’s home after removing a window grille with the help of a screwdriver and breaking the lock of the rear gate. The police were informed about the incident and one of the girls was traced to Pipli and brought back. In her statement to a magistrate, she stated that she escaped as she wanted to meet her family.
The other two girls are natives of Uttar Pradesh. A fact-finding committee has been constituted regarding the incident.
The commission comprising chairperson justice Sant Parkash and member justice Nirmaljit Kaur have asked the UT home secretary to state what lapses on the part of authority concerned led to the escape of the three girls and what measures have been taken by authorities and police to prevent a repeat of such event.