Good News India’s Beltikiri Dream Centre Shelter Home managing director Fayaz Rehman, who was arrested by the Dhenkanal police on the charge of sexual harassment of girl inmates of the home, was taken on a two-day remand by police on Tuesday.
Police would interrogate Rehman to unearth more information about the illegal functioning of the shelter home and would also likely to question him over the allegations of sexual harassment and religious conversion of the inmates.
Earlier, Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court had granted permission to police to take Rehman on remand.
Women and Child Development Minister Prafulla Samal on Tuesday said, “A probe is on to find out the number of unregistered shelter homes in the State and appropriate action would be taken accordingly after the district administration submits the report.”
“But no complaint has been lodged in connection with the video showing religious conversion so far,” added Samal. Meanwhile, the Dream Shelter Home’s centre in Puri was sealed on the day. Officials of the district administration arrived at the shelter home and sealed it as per the direction of the Women and Child Development Minister.
The inmates of the shelter home would be handed over to their guardians, an official of the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) said.
The inmates will be allowed to return to shelter home after examination of its documents, the official added.
Similarly, after raids were carried out on the Good News India shelter home on outskirts of Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district, a private hostel named Safe Children Home in Chandragiri of the district came under the scanner of the district administration on Tuesday.
Sources said the shelter home was raided because it has some financial dealings with NGO Goods News India. The centre run by one Milan Kumar Nayak has 109 inmates.
But it was found that the centre was functioning as per the guidelines.