Following a string of unsavoury happenings like alleged rape and abortion of a physically challenged inmate, death of two inmates and several others taken ill and hospitalised, a two-member committee of the National Women Commission led by its member Rekha Sharma inspected the Nari Niketan on Monday.
The team was accompanied by an interpreter so that deaf and dumb inmates could communicate with the team members rightly.
Observers said that the presence of a sign language expert has shown the seriousness with which the National Women Commission has taken up the case that hogged critical limelight across the State, landing the State government in utter embarrassment.
The members arrived at Nari Niketan around 1.30 pm and inspected the shelter home till evening, another thing that indicated how serious they were to probe the matter to get into the bottom of the rot that seemed to have eaten its way too deep for palliatives.
Sources said that the members talked with all the inmates while trying to understand how they live and the problems they are facing in the shelter home. The members also talked with the speech and hearing impaired inmate of the home who was allegedly raped and then was forced to abort the fetus. The team members are said to have left the shelter home around 6.30 pm for guest house in Dehradun where they are staying.
However, the members refused to say anything to the media persons who waited for a long time outside the shelter home to ask them questions about the outcome of the visit.
Notably, given the gravity of the issue, the Opposition BJP had submitted a memorandum to the National Women Commission recently and had appealed to the Commission to conduct inspection of Nari Niketan to bring the ills the home has been facing into national focus so as to ensure that corrective measures are taken to stem the rot seemingly set deep in the shelter home meant for the women in distress.
However, Uttarakhand Women Commission chairperson Sarojini Kaintura said that it was routine visit of National Women Commission members in Uttarakhand. “There is nothing special to read into it. The members visit the State once in eight or nine months in a year by way of routine,” she said.
She further said that the National Women Commission member Rekha Sharma would visit State Women Commission office at noon on Tuesday. “I was not informed that they were reaching Nari Niketan for inspection on Monday. Things would be, however, discussed in details when we meet on Tuesday,” she added.