Bhopal: MP Commission for Child Right Protection team claimed that girls of Ratlam Shelter Home were ‘not raped’ but were surely exploited. The incident came to light after five inmates of Kundan Kuteer Balika Grah at Jaora town of Ratlam shelter home escaped on January 24 by breaking the ventilation window of the toilet.
They were later found at Mandsaur. Allegations of the harassment and manhandling of girls had come to fore and thereafter probe was instituted into it. Currently SIT is looking into the allegations. CCRP chairman Dr Raghvendra Sharma informed that three-member team including Brijesh Chouhan, Dhuvendra More and Ashish Kapoor was sent to Jaora to probe the allegations.
The primary investigation has revealed that the girls were not sexually assaulted but had faced harassment. The girls were compelled to give massage, perform chores including the work of hostel, cooking, cleaning and other works. The detailed report will be submitted to the Commission. All inmates have been shifted to other shelter home.
Chouhan held officials assigned the inspection duty of the shelter home, responsible for the suffering of the inmates. “They (officials) used to do paper inspection only and never visited the hostel , which was running in one of the rooms at the director’s house,” he added.
Earlier, the National Human Rights Commission, had given notice to the state government over reported sexual exploitation of girls at shelter home. NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that girls of a Shelter Home were being sexually exploited, assaulted and manhandled.
Chairperson of Ratlam district Bal Kalyan Samiti and ex-president of Kundan Kuteer Balika Grah Rachna Bharti, her husband Om Prakash Bharti and secretary Dilip Barriya were arrested on the charges of sexual exploitation, physical assault and manhandling of the inmates
Reportedly, efforts are being made to arrest the current president of the Shelter Home, also an accused in the case. The Commission has asked the chief secretary of the state calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks including all the details regarding action taken against the culprits, steps taken for relief/rehabilitation/counselling of the victim girls. The response is expected, within four weeks.