LUCKNOW: Amid shock and horror over rampant sexual abuse of minor girls at Bihar shelter homes, a similar racket has surfaced, this time in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. The irregularities came to light when a 10-year-old escaped from the home in Deoria district on Sunday night and informed the police.
On inspecting the home for women, the police found that of the 42 enrolled inmates, only 24 were present. A search is on for the rest, the police said, adding that the caretaker of the home, her husband, and the superintendent have been arrested.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered immediate removal of district magistrate Sujit Kumar, and a high-level probe team has been sent for an inquiry at the home — Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila Avum Balika Sangrakshan Grih.
Many people would visit the home in the evenings and take the girls. In the morning, the girls would return and cry, the 10-year-old told the police, according to Deoria SP Rohan P Kanay. Even the caretaker, Girija Tripathi, used to take girls out, and dubious activities used to take place at the home, the SP was reportedly told.
The licence of the home was cancelled in June last year, Kanay said, adding, “the superintendent was running it illegally”. But the caretaker claimed the licence was only suspended and the matter was sub-judice.
Meanwhile, in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar blamed a “system flaw” for the alleged rape of 34 girls at a state-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur.
He rejected demands to sack his Social Welfare minister Manju Verma on the basis of allegations by opposition leaders, but said she could be asked “to go” if found to have facilitated any wrongdoing.
The chief minister added that shelter homes run by NGOs would be phased out and the state government would eventually take over all such centres.