Haryana child rights panel summons SIT

Over delay in action in cases against two Ujjwal Niketan trust-run care institutes

Taking a serious view of delay in police action in cases pertaining to child care institutes (CCIs) run by Ujjwal Niketan Charitable Trust, the Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR) on Thursday summoned the Special Investigation Team officers and demanded immediate action in the case.

Dissatisfaction expressed

Expressing dissatisfaction over investigation in the case, HSCPCR member B.K. Goel, who was on a day-long visit to the city in connection with cases related to the commission, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (City) Rajiv Kumar was summoned and directed to arrest Lily Berito, who ran both the CCIs, within 10 days.

“It is surprising that there is no headway in the case even after the formation of an SIT,” said Mr. Goel.

Accused at large

Mr. Kumar said raids were conducted at several places in search of Ms. Berito, but she is at large.

One of the institutes run by the trust at Sector 4 here had come under the scanner of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) after a team carried out an inspection at its premises in November last and found that two minor girls had been given for adoption in violation of laws.

A three-member observation committee, headed by Chief Judicial Magistrate Suruchi Atreja Singh, had in July carried out surprise inspections at Sector 4 and the Hayatpur CCIs of the trust, and found several discrepancies.

While the Sector 4 home was booked for violations under the Juvenile Justice Act, the records of Hayatpur home were found to be manipulated.

Discrepancies

There were discrepancies in documents showing the age and parentage of the children. Some children were sent to Goa without requisite permission from the CWC. Also, the children were given for adoption in violation of laws.

Later, a teenage girl who was shifted out of the Hayatpur home alleged sexual assault by CCI’s driver Madan. The accused was arrested.

Inmates at the Hayatpur home accused Ms. Berito of beating them up and trafficking a few girl children to an unregistered home in Goa, said Nisha, an observation committee member. A separate case was registered in this connection earlier this month.

Child trafficking

Gurugram CWC chairperson Shakuntala Dhull, had in a report in November last, demanded registration of an FIR in the case expressing apprehensions of child trafficking and sexual exploitation of inmates at the home. But the FIR was registered eight months later after the Chief Judicial Magistrate insisted on it.

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