At least 26 girls were reportedly found ‘missing’ from an unlicensed children’s shelter home in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal.

Madhya Pradesh News: Police on Saturday said they all of the 26 girls reported ‘missing’ girls from an unlicensed shelter home in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, were found at their respect homes even as the authorities suspended two district officials of the Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) for allowing the child shelter to operate without a license.

According to the state police, all the 26 ‘missing’ girls were found living at their homes.

Earlier, the case came light during a surprise check by National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanungo at the Aanchal Girls’ Hostel.

In a post on his official X handle, the Kanungo said he paid a surprise visit to the child shelter located in the Parwalia area on the outskirts of Bhopal, and after checking the register, found it contained entries of 68 girls, but 26 of them were missing.

कल मध्यप्रदेश की राजधानी भोपाल के तारासेवनिया में राज्य बाल आयोग अध्यक्ष व सदस्यों के साथ संयुक्त रूप से एक मिशनरी द्वारा संचालित अवैध बाल गृह का निरीक्षण किया।
यहाँ की संचालक NGO हाल तक सरकारी एजेन्सी की तरह चाइल्ड लाइन पार्ट्नर के रूप में कार्यरत रही है,एवं इसने सरकारी… pic.twitter.com/yVlWt04c90

— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) January 5, 2024

The missing girls, aged between 6 to 18 years, are mostly Hindus and hailed from different states including Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

“Yesterday, I jointly inspected the illegal children’s home run by a missionary in Tarasevnia, Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, along with the Chairman and members of the State Children’s Commission. The operating NGO here has been working as a Child Line partner like a government agency till recently, and while working as a government representative, it has rescued children from the streets, without informing the government,” the NCPCR chief said in his post on X.

Forced to practice Christianity

Kanungo said the NGO was running without a license and alleged that the girls are being kept “secretly” at the children’s home and forced to practice Christianity.

“Most of the more than 40 girls aged between 6 and 18 are Hindus,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the officials of the Women and Child Development Department of Madhya Pradesh want to run the child helpline on contract from such NGOs,” Kanungo added.

Two officials suspended

Meanwhile,  Bhopal Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh on Saturday suspended two officials and issued a show cause notice against two others in connection with the illegally running children’s home.

The suspended officials have been identified as Brijendra Pratap Singh, currently posted in Ganjbasoda, Vidisha district, (formerly posted in Women and Child Development Department, Bhopal) and Komal Upadhyay, posted as project officer in Women and Child Development Department, Bhopal.

Two other officials who received show cause notice have been identified as Sunil Solanki and Ramgopal Yadav, posted in Women and Child Development Department, Bhopal.

“A team of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and district administration inspected an illegally running children’s home in Tara Sewaniya, Bhopal on January 4. During the inspection, it was found that the children’s home was neither registered nor had permission, which was operated by Anil Mathew,” the Collector told news agency ANI.

He said the 41 girls who were presently lodged at the children’s home were shifted to a government accomodation all necessary arrangements for them were made.

An FIR was also registered against the operator of the children’s home under sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and he was being interrogated, he added.

All 26 girls ‘missing’ girls returned home

Singh said that all missing girl were found returned to their homes and police teams were deployed to verify the same.

“A total of 67 registration forms of the girls were found from the children’s home. It was brought to notice that the remaining 26 girls were returned to their homes after which the police team was deployed to verify it. The team found all the girls are at their homes so the information about the missing girls is not correct. All the girls are safe in their homes and in our government children’s home,” the Collector said.

He added that the building permission of the children’s home was being verified and action would be taken into it. Apart from this two officers were suspended and two others were given show cause notice into the matter.

Besides, investigation about foreign funding related issues and other aspects, including religious conversions at the children’s home was also being conducted. Strict action will be taken against whoever found guilty in the matter, he added.

Earlier the FIR was registered at Parwaliya Sadak Police Station in Bhopal under sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 in which Anil Mathew – the operator of children’s home – as an accused.

The FIR read that of the 68 girls registered at the home, between 6-18 years of age, 26 were found missing. The FIR also states that the children’s home was not being run in accordance with Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and was unregistered.

(With ANI inputs)