Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 11

A house mother at the Children’s Home of the Gandhi Vanita Ashram asked inmates to put in writing that “Shelter home staff will not be held responsible if anything happens to one particular inmate”.

The glaring disclosure has been made in a report submitted by the Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner. An inquiry ordered by Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori into the incident of the escape of 37 girls from the Children’s Home at the Gandhi Vanita Ashram (GVA) on March 8 has found this and other glaring irregularities at the home.

The DC’s report was submitted to the Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, on the night of March 8 the same day that the escape incident happened. The report made on the basis of findings by the SDM, Jalandhar II, found that the Children’s Home had — “shortage of police personnel” on duty at the ashram on the day of the incident and “lapse in deliverance of her duties” by the house mother of the Children’s Home. The report also stated that the CDPO, Bhogpur, who had the additional charge of Superintendent of the Children’s Home “was not able to discharge her duties properly”.

The DC’s report states, “It has come to the notice that there has been one lapse on the part of house mother Neelu. The girls stated that the house mother had exhorted them to put in writing the following: “The shelter home staff would not be held responsible if anything happens to one particular inmate.” This inmate is suffering from acute stress owing to personal conditions and the house mother has asked all the other inmates to give the above text in writing. This unauthorised exertion by the staff member accounts for a serious lapse in discharging her duties as her main job is to take care of the inmates.”

Speaking about the lack of security at the ashram, the report said, “The girls could leave the premises in an unauthorised manner due to the shortage of police personnel as they being in large number manhandled the woman police constable, only 1 on duty at the time. As per the duty roster, three woman constables are appointed at the gate of the shelter home, working on a rotational basis. They forced their way out of the premises by breaking the lock of the main gate entrance and also manhandling the gatekeeper.”

The report further stated, “The CDPO, Bhogpur, has an additional charge of Superintendent of the Children Home and she has not been able to discharge her duties properly as the incident could have been avoided if pro-active measures were taken by Superintendent or her sub-ordinate staff in addressing the concerns of girl inmates.”

The report filed in March also found that four girls had reached the age of 18 in the ashram. And that the home with a capacity of 50 inmates was housing 83 inmates and their three infants.

District Programme Officer Garry Randhawa said: “At present, the ashram has around 90 inmates. After the incident, cases of several inmates over 18 were resolved and they were sent home. Only one inmate over 18 is currently staying at the ashram. Additional security has been provided to the ashram after the incident.”