Police file second case against two south Delhi child care homes

This is the second case against the two child care homes in a fortnight. The police identified the two homes as Umeed Aman Ghar, a home for boys, and Khushi Rainbow Home, a residence for girls -- both based south Delhi and established by the Centre for Equity Studies (CSE).

The Delhi Police on Saturday said their Economics Offences Wing had registered a case against two child care homes for financial irregularities, cheating, forgery and criminal breach of trust, following a complaint received from the National Commission for Protection of Child Right (NCPCR).

An officer from the EoW said that the second case was registered on Thursday under various Indian Penal Code Sections. (Representative Image) (File Photo. Representative image)

This is the second case against the two child care homes in a fortnight. The police identified the two homes as Umeed Aman Ghar, a home for boys, and Khushi Rainbow Home, a residence for girls -- both based south Delhi and established by the Centre for Equity Studies (CSE). The CSE is being run by trustee member Harsh Mander, a retired IAS officer.

An officer from the EoW said that the second case was registered on Thursday under various Indian Penal Code Sections.

“The NCPCR had filed a complaint against the two homes mentioning financial irregularities. After preliminary examination, which indicated financial irregularities, we registered a case. We would now be issuing notices to the concerned homes and members of their management seeking their availability to join the probe,” the officer said.

Mander could not be reached for a comment on the allegations despite repeated attempts.

At that time, chairperson of NCPCR Priyank Kanoongo, had said that the two homes are run by Centre for Equity Studies where activist Harsh Mander is a director. Kanoongo accused the officials of the two homes of trying to “derail” the enquiry process by saying that Mander was not connected to them.

Kanoogoo, as well as the findings of an inspection by NCPCR on October 1, had pointed to alleged irregularities in the financial aspects of the two homes, the living conditions of the children and found them to be flouting several applicable laws.

When HT had sought a comment on these allegations, the management of the homes had sent a response in which they had denied any financial irregularities and that Mander only conceived the Rainbow Homes Programme (HRP) under which the children are cared for.

The management had said the NCPCR was trying to malign the reputation of HRP as Mander is a “known critic of the government and its policies”, they added that Mander was no longer associated with the “day-to-day running” of the programme.

Earlier this month, a first information report (FIR) was registered under against the two care homes for children under the Juvenile Justice Act and the section 188 (disobedience to an order passed by a government servant) at the Mehrauli police station, after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) reported a host of abuse and irregularities such as sexual abuse, using the children for anti-CAA protests, not providing them the right living conditions, Covid-19 norms violations, among others, the police said.