DHENKANAL: While inmates of Good News India Dream Centre at Beltikiri were being subjected to sexual exploitation, the district administration had no inkling about the illegal shelter home which was operating in blatant violation of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Interestingly, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) had issued closure notice to the shelter home in 2015 for not complying with the guidelines of Juvenile Justice Act and had even repatriated the inmates to their respective districts. However, the shelter home continued its illegal operations right under the nose of the district administration. Had the officials concerned cared to carry out inspections at regular intervals, the abuse would not have taken place.
Sources said the shelter home was operating at Station Bazaar till April 2015. After it was closed down, Good News India Dream Centre purchased its own land in an interior area of Beltikiri and resumed operations as the DCPU did not bother to investigate further after issuing closure notice.
DCPU legal-cum-probation officer Pradipta Kumar Sahoo said after the shelter home was closed, Good News India Dream Centre filed a petition in the Orissa High Court. Acting on the petition, the HC sent a team of lawyers to visit the home and submit a report.
In its report, the team expressed dissatisfaction over poor standards of care and infrastructure available for the inmates. It was also revealed that the shelter home was not registered under JJ Act.Though the HC observed that the education of the inmates should continue, it did not issue any direction to the district administration over the matter, Sahoo said.
The matter came to light after caretaker of the shelter home Simanchal Nayak complained to the child welfare committee on November 16 that chairman of the organisation Faiz Rehman was sexually abusing girl inmates. Earlier, Simanchal had been fired from the shelter home after allegation of sexual abuse was levelled against him by the inmates.
Meanwhile, the Special Court (POCSO) has ordered police to submit case diary in connection with Beltikiri shelter home abuse by December 7. Dhenkanal SP Santosh Kumar Nayak said the police will take Faiz and Simanchal on remand from Tuesday. The duo was arrested on Sunday.
Team formed to inspect shelter homes
Rayagada: The Rayagada administration has formed a team to inspect shelter homes and hostels across the district and submit a report to the Collector. The decision comes in wake of the sexual harassment of minor girls of shelter home run by Good News India Dream Centre in Dhenkanal. In Rayagada, the NGO was running a shelter home near Siriguda area where 76 girls were lodged. It has been operating for the last nine years. The district officials inspected the shelter home soon after the sexual harassment allegations came to fore in Dhenkanal. However, none of the girl inmates here made any such allegations. They were admitted to the shelter home by their parents or extended family members. Rayagada has at least 80 shelter homes or hostels and a majority of them are running under the supervision of Christian Missionaries.