Child centre director sent to jail for 'raping' 7 inmates

Director of Child Development Centre at Podagada, Philip George (51), was on Thursday arrested by the police on charges of sexually assaulting at least seven inmates of the centre in the last two years. He was forwarded to court on Friday and sent to jail here after his bail plea was rejected.

He was arrested from the Podagada bus-stand and a case has been registered against him under Sections 376, 342, 354, 506 of IPC and the provisions of the POCSO Act, according to investigating officer Pramila Suna said.

Though the police had gone to the centre run by a Chennai-based NGO to arrest George after an FIR was lodged against him by some of his victims on Tuesday, they had to return empty-handed due to the resistance of local people, she said.

As per the complaint lodged by one of the victims, George abused her sexually in September this year. She said she and some other inmates were studying at the centre in the evening when the director came and invited them to study at his rented house since there was no electricity at the centre at the time. 

While they were studying at his house, George called her to his room and asked her to massage him before forcing himself on her, the complainant said.

The victim informed other inmates about the incident next day and they informed manager of the centre China Baboo Hial about it. Hial informed Sam Jacob, head of the organisation that runs the centre, about the incident. Jacob came to Podagada and conducted an inquiry into the allegation, but nothing came out of it, sources said.

Emboldened by the no action against him, George, who was hiding somewhere in Rayagada ever since the allegations against him surfaced, returned to Podagada and resumed his heinous activities, the sources said.