A case of sexual exploitation of mentally challenged girls, admitted in a Home for Mentally Retarded Children, has shocked the civil society in the ‘city of temples’.
Out of total 15 girls staying in the home managed by Rotary Inner Wheel in Channi Rama of Jammu, at least five mentally challenged girls have been found to be sexually exploited by the caretakers for a long time. A director of the Home for Mentally Retarded, SC Sharma, and one of the watchmen Angad Kumar have been arrested and a FIR has been registered to carry out further investigations in the case.
According to official sources, “A month ago the district administration had received a complaint alleging sexual exploitation of girls staying in the home by their caretakers. Taking swift action on the complaint, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Ajeet Sahu, had constituted a board of Additional DC, a senior gynaecologist, psychiatrist and Superintendent of Police to thoroughly investigate the complaint.
On Wednesday, the board submitted their report to the Deputy Commissioner confirming the allegations of sexual exploitation of at least five girls. Following submission of the report, the State police arrested Director and watchman of the Home. Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Sahu told reporters in Jammu, “The board constituted to probe the complaint has confirmed allegations of sexual exploitation and certain other malpractices committed by the caretakers of the Home for mentally challenged.” Pending complete investigations in the case Ajeet Sahu refused to divulge findings of the inquiry committee report.
The warden, Santosh Devi told reporters gathered outside the Home for Mentally Retarded on Thursday, “for last two-three months the girls were complaining that the watchman posted in the home was misbehaving with them and physically abusing them.” She, however, denied reports of sexual harassment in front of her own eyes.
“The inquiry report may have claimed that the girls admitted in the home were exploited but all I know is that none of this happened in front of my eyes,” she clarified. The warden, herself in a state of shock, also denied allegations that the girls were exploited outside the home. She said, “After 4 pm the girls used to stay in her custody and no one was allowed to step out of the Home”. She said only two girls were allowed to go out on one day to attend a religious function.
A total number of 34 inmates including 19 mentally challenged boys and 15 girls are admitted in the Home for Mentally Retarded Children from different areas of Jammu division. Shockingly, none of the parents of the victims of sexual exploitation turned up to ask about the well being of their loved ones.
Before the Home for Mentally Challenged was declared out of bounds for media on Thursday, some of the minor girls alleged that they were being exploited by the caretakers for last one year. Even though the children were seen struggling to express themselves still they managed to convey their angst against the caretakers and conveyed strong emotions through gestures. The caretakers present in the home prevented media from entering the premises and the policemen also directed them not to go inside the premises locked down by the caretakers.
The city witnessed several protests from student wings of different political parties demanding severe punishment for those who exploited the mentally challenged children.