Priyank Kanoongo, the chief of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), on Thursday alleged that the office bearers of the children’s home run by an NGO linked to Harsh Mander tried to hide the case of a child sexual abuse by not reporting it to the Police in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
The NCPCR chief, after receiving a complaint on April 26, visited the children’s home in Ranchi to inspect the case of child sexual abuse. He stated that a seven-year-old girl was sexually abused by a security guard in April and that the office bearers of the home had tried to suppress the case by not reporting it to the Police. He added that the children’s home in which the incident took place was not registered under the Juvenile Justice Act and the office bearers of the home were not taking the case seriously. “They simply have dismissed the guard. The home that shelters 52 girls has voluntary links linked to Mander”, he noted.
He also slammed the Jharkhand Police for failing to recognize the offense of child sexual abuse and not registering an FIR in the case. He alleged that the Jharkhand Police was being pressurized and did not allow the NCPCR to complain. “Whose pressure is it? It is shameful that for the last four hours Jharkhand Police is adamant on its opinion of calling the family members to file an FIR even in the cognizable offense of child sexual abuse. It is neither making the case itself nor allowing NCPCR to file a complaint”, Kanoongo tweeted on April 26.
शर्मनाक बात है कि पिछले चार घंटे से झारखण्ड पुलिस बच्चे के यौन शोषण के संज्ञेय अपराध में भी FIR दर्ज करने परिजन को फ़रियादी बनाने को बुलाने की ज़िद पर अड़ी है,न तो स्वयं से मुक़दमा बना रही न ही @NCPCR_ को फ़रियादी बना रही है।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) April 26, 2022
किसका दबाव है ?@HemantSorenJMM https://t.co/Ar8vUmrJi8
The case of child sexual abuse-
On April 7, a seven-year-old girl residing in the Rainbow Children’s home was sexually abused by a security guard. The Manager of the children’s home run by an NGO named Rainbow Foundation India tried to suppress the matter by not reporting the incident to the Police.
According to the reports, one of the social workers informed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights about the incident. The NCPCR on April 26 then visited the children’s home in Ranchi, Jharkhand to inspect the case. The said children’s home run by Rainbow Foundation India has voluntary links linked to Harsh Mander.
It is important to note that on February 4 last year, an FIR was registered against Harsh Mander following complaints of child sexual abuse at children’s homes run by his NGO. The NCPCR had taken cognizance of a complaint of child sexual abuse at Umeed Aman Home for Boys which is run by the Aman Biradari Trust founded by Mander. The Commission noted that several instances of sexual abuse of children had taken place within the boys’ home in the years 2012, 2013, and 2016. It also mentioned that the children were made to participate in anti-CAA protests. They were being taught that ‘the government only works for Hindus and keeps fighting in Pakistan’.
In the current case, the NCPCR has demanded the children be shifted to another facility and has expressed concern that other children might also have faced the abuse at the Rainbow Children’s Home which needs attention. It has sought FIR to be registered in the case.
