All 26 missing girls from Bhopal shelter found safe
68 girls were found, but only 40 of them were found at the shelter, and 26 of them have been missing
Updated: Jan 8th, 2024
Updated on Jan 8, 1.16 p.m.
At least 26 girls who were reported missing from an illegally run children’s home have been found safe.
The police said that 10 girls were found in Adampur Chawni, 13 from slums, two from Top Nagar, and one from Raisen district.
On Jan 6, the chief minister of Bhopal, Mohan Yadav, took to social media, saying that all the girls are safe and have been identified. He also said that all the accused would not be spared.
Two Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) were suspended on Jan 6 after the FIR was filed.
As per the tweet of collectorate Bhopal, CDPO Brijendra Pratap Singh (currently posting Ganjbasoda) and CDPO Komal Upadhyay have been suspended due to their alleged negligence in the matter.
Moreover, show-cause notices were also issued to Sunil Solanki, an officer in the women and child development department, and Ramgopal Yadav, an assistant director at the department.
Updated on Jan 6, 4.30 p.m.
Notably, entries of 68 girls were found, but only 40 of them were found at the shelter, and 26 of them have been missing.
According to reports, the police have also registered an FIR against a private NGO for running the children’s home without permission.
Currently, the police have shifted 40 rescued girls to another children’s home. As per the information shared by Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), more than 40 girls aged between 6 and 18.
The shelter named ‘Aanchal Children’s Home’ used to operate the NGO, which claimed to be a government agency.
The people from the NGO used to take girls from the streets, masquerading as government representatives.
“When Anil Mathew, the director of the shelter home, was questioned about the missing girls, he did not give satisfactory answers. An FIR has been filed by the police in the case,” Kanoongo added.
He further claimed a missionary, who was managing the children’s home, had rescued some children from the streets and was running the shelter home without any licence. The NCPCR chairperson also alleged that those rescued had been kept secretly in the children’s house and were made to practise Christianity.
“Most of the girls aged between 6 and 18 are Hindus. After much difficulty, the police have registered an FIR. Unfortunately, the officials of the Women and Child Development Department of Madhya Pradesh want to run the child helpline on contract from such NGOs,” he added.
Considering the gravity of the situation, the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh also took cognizance of the matter and urged the government to take immediate action.
(With inputs from IANS)
