Children neglected at private care in Delhi, high court takes note

Shocked at the deplorable condition in which children were kept at a private child care home in the Capital, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the city government’s department of women and child development to transfer all children to an alternative home.

Shocked at the deplorable condition in which children were kept at a private child care home in the Capital, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the city government’s department of women and child development to transfer all children to an alternative home.

Shocked at the deplorable condition in which children were kept at a private child care home in the Capital, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the city government’s department of women and child development to transfer all children to an alternative home.

“The photographs show that some of the female inmates are in semi and complete naked condition and that also in the presence of male children,” Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said. He added that it was “very disturbing”.

The court also directed the deputy commissioner of police concerned to conduct an investigation on allegation of sexual exploitation of children in Prem Dham Ashram in Najafgarh, which is run by an NGO named Human Care International.

There are about 39 girls and 26 boys who stay in the home.

Prem Dham Ashram had moved the high court against two orders of the government directing it to hand over all the children to government-run children home such as Nirmal Chhaya Complex or Sweet Home in Najafgarh.

It claimed that the home has been taking care of the food, lodging and studies of these children and they want to reside at the current campus. It also contended that the transfer of children in the middle of the academic session would be detrimental to their studies.

However, advocate Prabhsahay Kaur, appearing for the department of women and child development, said that Prem Dham Ashram had concealed material facts and that there was evidence and material — including photographs — to show that the children were being kept in deplorable conditions.

She contended that they had even received complaints of sexual exploitation.

Kaur further said that in a surprise inspection conducted on July 19, the department found that the children were being kept in miserable conditions. “Some of the male and female children were kept together,” she added.

“The photographs that have been shown to the court are very disturbing…The allegations of the respondents are prima facie fortified from the photographs shown,” Justice Sachdeva said.

The concerned deputy commissioner of police was directed to investigate into the allegations against the petitioner’s home and also to examine the complaints received by the respondent with regard to sexual exploitation, the court added.

It directed the DCP to submit a status report of the action taken and posted the matter for further hearing on September 15.