A teenage rape survivor from Madhya Pradesh's Panna district was sent back to the house of the accused, following which she was sexually assaulted for the second time.
An FIR has been registered against members of the local Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in MP's Chattarpur, who bypassed mandatory procedures and sent the survivor to the house of the accused, NDTV reported.
The complaint has been filed against 10 persons, including the CWC chairman, senior officials and other members.
The 15-year-old survivor, who is a resident of a village in Panna district, went missing after leaving her school to return back home on January 16, 2025. Following this, her family registered a missing person report at the local police station.
The police found her a month later on February 17, 2025, after tracing her to Haryana's Gurugram. The accused, who belonged to a different village, was also found along with her, and taken into police custody.
He was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sent to jail. The case was filed at Panna Kotwali police station, and later transferred to Jujhar Nagar police station in Chhatarpur district, according to the NDTV report.
Survivor was related to accused's sister-in-law
The survivor was related to the sister-in-law of the accused, who was also her cousin. After the case was registered and the accused taken into custody, the teenager was referred to the CWC in Panna for rehabilitation.
{{/usCountry}}The survivor was related to the sister-in-law of the accused, who was also her cousin. After the case was registered and the accused taken into custody, the teenager was referred to the CWC in Panna for rehabilitation.
{{/usCountry}}While she was initially placed at the One Stop Center (OSC) in Panna, the CWC later sent her to the house of the accused's sister-in-law, her cousin, NDTV reported.
The accused, who was out on bail by this time, allegedly sexually assaulted the minor for the second time. He has been arrested again.
Investigations revealed that the CWC had bypassed mandatory procedures, failing to obtain a social investigation report from the Women and Child Development Department to determine the safety of the placement. This is a critical step under the Juvenile Justice Act, which ensures the minor's best interests and works as a precaution against any future threat.
Chattarpur Superintendent of Police Agam Jain said that the FIR was registered against the local CWC chairperson, five committee members, the District Women and Child Development Officer and others under different sections, according to The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the survivor's family lodged a complaint at the Panna Collectorate's public hearing, thus leading to the district collector's intervention. The district collector directed the CWC to review the decision. However, the committee relocated the minor back to the OSC on April 29 earlier this year.
The minor revealed that she had been repeatedly assaulted during her stay at the house of the sister-in-law of the accused in one of the counselling sessions at the OSC, according to NDTV. However, the staff members at the OSC, along with the District Women and Child Development Officer, tried to prevent the revelations from coming to light.
“The police are investigating the matter closely. The investigation also revealed that the District Program Officer and the staff of the One Stop Center tried to suppress the case,” NDTV quoted SDOP Lavkushnagar Naveen Dubey as saying.
The offence came into the public view through media reports, which led to police action against the officials involved. The FIR has been lodged under Section 17 of the POCSO Act for abetment of the offense. The CWC administrator and counsellor have been charged under Section 21 of the POCSO Act, after failing to report the sexual abuse.