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Missing girls from children’s home in Bhopal found safe; CM orders action
Bhopal district collector suspended the WCD project officer, Komal Upadhyay, supervisor Manjusha Raj and former project officer Brijendra Pratap Singh, for failing to monitor the activities of the children’s home, Anachal, run by one Anil Mathew
Bhopal: Three women and child development (WCD) department officers were suspended after 26 girls from the Anchal Children’s Home allegedly went missing but were found safe on Saturday.
Bhopal district collector suspended the WCD project officer, Komal Upadhyay, supervisor Manjusha Raj and former project officer Brijendra Pratap Singh, for failing to monitor the activities of the children’s home, Anachal, run by one Anil Mathew.
The matter came to light after the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) on Thursday held an inspection after receiving complaints of harassment and forced conversion.
During the inspection, the officials could only identify 41 girls against 68 registered at the children’s home located under the Parwalia police station area of Bhopal.
When asked, the shelter home management could not give a satisfactory answer regarding missing girls following which a police complaint was filed.
Based on the complaint filed by the officials, police registered a first information report against Mathew for allegedly running the children’s home illegally.
According to the police, Mathew told them that the girls were rescued in the past three years based on calls received on child helpline 1098 from distressed.
Bhopal rural superintendent of police (SP) Pramod Sinha said that they found the missing girls from different areas in Bhopal. “10 girls were found in Adampur Cantonment Haripura, 13 in Ayodhya Basti, two girls in Roop Nagar crusher area and one girl in Raisen.”
It was suspected that they left after feeling homesick, police said.
After registration at the shelter, the girls were not happy and they returned to their houses, the SP said. In the statement registered with the police, the girls did not claim any kind of harassment or forced conversion. However, is into the matter has been launched, he added.
Meanwhile, chief minister Mohan Yadav took cognisance of the matter and said that the 26 girls of a children’s home who were alleged to have gone missing were safe and directed officials to take action against such institutions which were operating illegally.
“The missing girls from the children’s home have been found safely. No culprit or negligent person will be spared in this matter,” Yadav said.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairman Priyank Kanoongo also took cognisance of the matter and sought a detailed report from chief secretary Veera Rana within seven days.
Priyank Kanoongo said, “This organisation kept the children directly in the shelter instead of presenting them before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Bhopal. Per the rules, they had to be produced before the CWC and sent to the girls’ home with permission.”
