UP: 24 Out Of 42 Girls Rescued From Shelter Home Run By Elderly Couple; Rest All Missing

Just days after the alleged case of sexual abuse in a government-run shelter home in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur surfaced, the Deoria police in Uttar Pradesh on August 5 rescued at least 24 girls from a shelter home and also arrested the couple who ran the facility. The incident came to light after a girl who escaped from the facility informed the police of suspicious activities inside the shelter home. According to News18, the girl informed the police that she was forced to work in other people’s houses. There are also reports of prostitution and sexual abuse.

Police arrest a man & his wife, managers of a shelter home in Deoria after its license was revoked following an inspection by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). 24 minor girls rescued, search for other 15 underway. pic.twitter.com/7GO3dUUIxS

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 5, 2018

Reportedly, out of the registered 42 inmates of the facility, only 24 were found. A CBI investigation in 2017 had revealed certain irregularities, for which the NGO’s licence had been revoked. However, the order was not followed by owners Girija Tripathi and her husband, Mohan. In the latest update, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of Deoria District Magistrate Sujeet Kumar over the shelter home case.

CM Yogi Adityanath orders suspension of Deoria's DM Sujeet Kumar over #Deoria shelter home case

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 6, 2018

How did Deoria police get to know?

The case came to the fore after a 10-year-old girl escaped from the shelter home and informed the police about the plight of those who were residing in the facility. According to ANI, Superintendent of Police Rohan P Kanay said that the girl also revealed that girls above 15 years of age would be picked up in cars only to return the next day. The girls would return to the facility crying. It was after this that the police conducted a raid at the shelter home, where 24 girls had been rescued.

One of the girls escaped from the shelter home, came to us & said they are treated like servants. She also said that cars come to pick girls above 15 years old & the girls come crying the next day. Investigation is underway: Superintendent of Police Rohan P Kanay pic.twitter.com/nJyjpl0mxz

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 5, 2018

While the investigation is underway, Kanay told News18, “The names of 42 girls are registered in the list of NGO named Vindhyavashini Women and Girl Child Protection House, but only 24 girls were found on the spot in the raid. The remaining 18 girls are being traced. There was a complaint about this shelter home for women for a long time.” Moreover, a case has been registered under different sections related to flesh trade, human trafficking, and child labour.

Meanwhile, Additional Director General Of Police (ADG) Law & Order, told ANI, “The children will be sent for medical examination.” Moreover, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has also been looking into the case.

A Muzaffarpur shelter rerun

In July 2018, it was revealed that 34 girls were in a state-run shelter home in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur were subjected to continued rape, torture and assault by the staff of the shelter home. One victim, who was rescued, claimed that most of the girls who were residing there were raped by the journalist Brajesh Thakur, along with Vineet Kumar, a member of a child welfare committee, who ran the NGO.

According to BBC, it has also been revealed that Thakur was getting 40 lakhs per annum from the state government to run the shelter. He was given a tender to run an old age home and a Juvenile home as well. An NGO ran the ‘Balika Grih’ shelter home called Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti. As per reports, Brajesh was given the tender to run the shelter home by the state Social Welfare Department.

The Logical Indian take

Shelters like these are supposed to be a haven for girls who had difficult lives. In such kind of a place, abuse by people in the position of trust and power is despicable. The police and authorities should take stringent actions against those who were at the helm of affairs.

Also Read: Bihar: 40 Girls As Young As Seven Raped & Tortured Repeatedly In Govt Run Shelter