Bhopal: In a shocking case of child rights violation, a children's home was found operating illegally on the outskirts of Bhopal, with at least 27 girls reported missing from the facility.
The matter came to light after a team of officials from the Women and Child Development Department raided the premises of the children's home, run by a non-governmental organisation called 'Samarpan', on Saturday.
According to sources, the officials found several irregularities and violations of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, at the children's home. The facility did not have proper registration, records, staff, infrastructure, or amenities for the children. The officials also discovered that the children's home had admitted more children than its sanctioned capacity, and had not followed the prescribed procedures for admission, restoration, or adoption of the children.
The most shocking revelation was that 27 girls, who were supposed to be staying at the children's home, were missing. The manager of the children's home, Anil Mathew, could not provide any satisfactory explanation for their whereabouts. He claimed that the girls had either been restored to their families or adopted by other people, but he did not have any documents or evidence to prove his claims.
The officials immediately informed the police, who registered a case against the children's home and its manager under Sections 42 and 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, at the Parwaliya police station. Section 42 deals with the penalty for non-registration of child care institutions, while Section 75 deals with the punishment for cruelty to a child.
The police also launched a search operation to trace the missing girls and to verify the credentials of the children's home and its manager. The police suspect that the children's home may have been involved in illegal activities such as child trafficking, exploitation, or abuse.
Meanwhile, the Women and Child Development Department suspended three of its officials and issued showcause notices to two others for their negligence and failure to monitor the functioning of the children's home. The department also ordered a probe into the matter and promised to take strict action against anyone found guilty of dereliction of duty or complicity in the crime.
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mohan Yadav, expressed his concern and anger over the incident and assured that the state government would ensure the safety and welfare of the children. He said that all the girls who were missing from the children's home had been rescued and were safe. He also said that the government would take stern action against the culprits and would not tolerate any violation of the rights of the children.
The incident has raised serious questions about the functioning and regulation of the child care institutions in the state, and has exposed the vulnerability and plight of the children who are in need of care and protection. It has also highlighted the need for greater awareness and vigilance among the public and the authorities to prevent such cases of exploitation and abuse of children.