CHENNAI: The Tambaram city police commissionerate on Saturday arrested a driver and caretaker of a government-recognised children’s home in Chengalpattu district on charges of sexually assaulting 16 minor girls at the facility.
The facility is located at Oonamachery and houses 16 boys and 18 girls, an official release by the Tambaram police said. The accused have been identified as G Palani (52) and A Priya (40). Police sources said that the home’s founder and administrator Aruldoss (70) was also arrested, but he complained of medical issues and was admitted to a hospital. Priya is Aruldoss’s daughter.
Officials sources said preliminary inquiries indicated that the abuse was going on for long but the children were afraid to complain even though the home was regularly inspected.
Some girls who joined recently encouraged others to complain, sources said, adding that the accused have been booked for harassment and aggravated sexual assault under the Pocso Act.
Police said that the shelter has been operating for more than 15 years. During a routine inspection by the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC), some of the girls told the officials that they were being touched inappropriately by driver Palani. The officials proceeded to conduct a detailed probe and found that Palani had allegedly abused 16 girls, sources said.
Based on the inquiry, the District Child Protection Officer formally filed a complaint with the Vandalur All Women Police Station which registered a case under Pocso Act and other sections of BNS. The trio were immediately called for questioning and detained. Police sources said they will soon be produced before a judicial magistrate and sent to prison.
Parallelly, all the 18 girls at the shelter were rescued and sent to another home, while the 16 boys were rehabilitated in another government-recognised facility.
The home, which last renewed its licence in 2022 for five years, had children who couldn’t be taken care by their families.