A day after child molester Maneesh Arora was arrested; guardians of destitute girls living in the shelter home are warding off their wards from the place on the pretext of laxity in security at the Bal Niketan.
The main accused in the incident was arrested, when a group of girls mustered the courage and dialled the Child helpline number 1098, and complained about their ordeal at the shelter home, where they were being molested. After the incidence only 12 to 15 children are left behind out of 40 girls here. Guardians flocked the home to take back their daughters home as they felt that the place is not safe for their further stay.Meanwhile, the girls, who are orphans, were left behind at the home. Guardians of the girls have claimed that they will send back their children to Bal Niketan only when the staff is changed.
“How can I allow my niece to stay at a place where she has been sexually and mentally assaulted by a staff memberIJ The other employees were also aware about this shameful happening here, but they did not bother to take any action against the accused,” said the uncle of a 14 year-old girl, whose father expired long back. “I know that my place does not have adequate facilities, but at least my niece will be safe there as compared to Bal Niketan,” he added.
Meanwhile, the UT Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Shayin, has ordered the UT Social Welfare department to take charge of the shelter home, which was being run by an NGO, on Tuesday. However, no senior official of the administration have visited yet.The Chandigarh administration had ordered to shift the children to Snehalaya at Maloya by Wednesday. However, the orders were not implemented by the authorities, said the staff members of Bal Niketan.
The incident came to light on Monday, when a case against Maneesh Arora, care taker of Bal Niketa, a shelter home for destitute girl children, was registered by the UT police. A 15 year-old girl had complained against Maneesh by calling on child helpline number on April 3. The accused was arrested by the local police and he was produced before the district court on Thursday, where the court sent him for judicial custody.