CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu on Saturday transferred case on alleged torture and sexual assault of inmates at the illegally-run Anbu Jothi Ashram in Villupuram to the CBCID. Meanwhile, after an inquiry with 16 women rescued from the ashram, officials of National Commission for Women said two of them had been raped at the home.
A press statement from the DGP’s office said the case was being transferred to the CBCID as it was an inter-state investigation involving illegal detention, torture, sexual assault, and suspected human trafficking across state borders, resulting in several inmates going missing from the home.
The home was found to be functioning in Villupuram district without due licenses for housing persons with mental illness, disabilities and destitute persons since 2005 when it was founded. However, senior officials did not respond to queries about why the police department in Chennai and Villupuram had partnered with the home in the past.
The NCW representatives, under senior coordinator Kanchan Khattar, met the women, who are being treated at Government Villupuram Medical College hospital in Mundiampakkam, and held a closed-room inquiry. Khattar told reporters that an NCW team had been formed under her for inquiry.
“In the initial inquiry, we found two women had been raped in the ashram. We will investigate further and submit a report to the commission soon,” she said.BJP state president K Annamalai has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking a CBI probe into the case due to the allegations of human and organ trafficking of the inmates
The irregularities at the home came to light after officials inspected the facility on February 10 following a Madras High Court order on a habeas corpus petition. As many as 142 residents were shifted out of the home to the government hospital at Mundiampakkam for treatment.
Subsequently, based on information from the residents, Villupuram police registered cases against nine persons under 13 sections including for rape and harassment of women. Multiple residents of the home are allegedly missing, including a 70-year-old man, an 80-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man.
Ashram owners Jubin Baby and his wife Maria were both arrested along with other associates. The organisation's facility near Kottakuppam was also closed. A team of officials recently inspected a branch of the organisation in Bengaluru.