BHUBANESWAR: Director General of Police Dr RP Sharma on Monday instructed all SPs to conduct a thorough verification of child care institutions (CCIs) in their respective districts.In the wake of shocking news of sexual abuse in such care centres of Bihar and UP, the Police Chief directed that the SPs must constitute a team comprising officers from Investigative Unit on Crimes Against Women, Integrated Anti -human Trafficking Unit and Special Juvenile Police Unit. The units must include lady officers of the district for verification of shelter homes on priority basis and submit the visit reports.
The SPs must review such matters on weekly basis and submit a report to State Police Headquarters.
As per Section 75 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2005, if the person in charge of a child shelter home or the CCIs assaults, abandons, abuses, exposes or wilfully neglects the child, he or she will be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine of ` one lakh or both.
The POCSO Act, 2012 also provides that any person apprehending such an offence shall provide such information to Special Juvenile Police Unit and the local police. The visiting teams will verify staff pattern, registers maintained by shelter homes, details of the inmates and organisers, source of finance, safety measures such as boundary wall, CCTV surveillance, functions hosted by the CCIs, people frequently visiting the centre and their purpose of such visits, communication systems like internet, mobile phones, televisions, medical facilities, schools where children are admitted, details of staff engaged and members of management committee, including their addresses and phone numbers.The teams have also been asked to verify records and actual children available in the shelter homes. Any interaction with inmates must be held in a congenial atmosphere. For interaction with female inmates, a lady officer must be employed.