NEW DELHI: Nine minor girls went missing from a shelter home in northeast Delhi’s Dilshad Garden in the wee hours of Sunday after which deputy Chief Minister (CM) Manish Sisodia ordered an immediate suspension of the district officer and the home superintendent.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) apprised the deputy CM about the incident, who in turn also wrote to the Delhi police to transfer the case to the Crime Branch.The missing girls, who were residing at Sanskar Ashram for Girls in Dilshad Garden, were victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. They were transferred to the shelter home from another shelter home in Dwarka in May on the orders of Child Welfare Committee (CWC)–VII.
The authorities of the shelter home claimed they had no clue on how and when the girls went missing, the DCW said.Deputy CM Manish Sisodia expressed this as serious case and directed the chief secretary to immediately suspend the district officer, north-east, WCD and superintendent,SAG Home.
In the order, Sisodia wrote: “The Department of Women and Child Development has failed in its duty to provide a safe and secure environment for minor girls who were placed under the protection of the state.”
The DCW had earlier learned about irregularities in the functioning of the shelter home in Dilshad Garden through CWC. “The home superintendent had beaten several other girls and her conduct was highly improper. However, no action was taken by either the WCD or the Delhi police on the said complaints,” the DCW said.
“The instances of earlier lapses on part of the same home, which were not acted upon by the WCD, as mentioned by the DCW chairperson, is also extremely serious and raise serious doubts on the intention of the officers of WCD,” Sisodia added.An FIR has been registered at the GTB Enclave police station by the police.
“The girls were sent to the home as a part of the rehabilitation process. It is unfortunate as the girls were rescued, rehabilitated and were to be repatriated. The Delhi police needs to find the girls and ensure they are not pushed back in to trafficking. There should also be a public awakening on this issue,” said Sabrina Sabharwal, former chairperson, CWC-VII.