NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday raised alarm bells against the functioning of six shelter homes in Assam and Manipur saying nearly 300 of about 1,000 children mentioned in documents were not found during the inspections.
Among several other serious charges, the commission said in its report to the Centre and the state governments that at least one child care institution run by Markaz Darul Yatama is accepting money from IHH, an international NGO which is suspected to have links with the al-Qaeda.
The shelter homes — at Dhubri, Goalpara, Hojai and Nagaon in Assam and Thoubal in Manipur — are run by All India United Democratic Fund (AIUDF) MP from Dhubri Badruddin Ajmal. Ajmal could not be available for comments despite multiple attempts to reach him.
The 15-page report sent following inspections by NCPCR and state child rights commission authorities between December 14-18 has recommended a probe by the National Investigation Agency into the suspicious ‘Aqiqah project’ with which the children were said to be attached, but whose details could not be provided.
“Three of the shelter homes were found to be illegally run as they were not registered and in all six homes, children have been kept in deplorable conditions without seeking permission from district child welfare committees,” NCPCR chairman Priyank Kanoongo told this newspaper.
He added that not only was there was evidence of serious financial irregularities, including illegal foreign funding, but children were also being given corporal punishment routinely.
“Also, we have got evidence that their details were being shared with some organisations in Turkey,” Kanoongo said.
“The team, during the inspection of Markaz Darul Yatama, Dhubri, had been informed about funds being received by IHH, which is based in Turkey, for the implementation of AKIKA project in 2016,” the report says.
Badruddin under scanner
The shelter homes — at Dhubri, Goalpara, Hojai and Nagaon in Assam and Thoubal in Manipur — are run by AIUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal.