27/05/2017
PUNE:
Dnyana Devi Childline Pune has written to women and child development minister Pankaja Munde and the police department seeking
action against illegal children's homes in Pune district.
Childline's director Anuradha
Sahasrabuddhe said they have been hearing about abuse from " illegal
hostels" for children. "We have been reporting these cases to the
child welfare committee and the district women and child welfare department.
These homes are operating illegally and children from these hostels have sought
help from Childline after they were abused,''she said.
The Shirur ashram has about
35 children, including girls and boys, and the parents were charged Rs 15,000
yearly. "It was a residential facility. They went to a zilla parishad
school nearby. According to our Childline members, the proprietor and his brother
touched these girls inappropriately and made them sit on their laps at odd
hours.''
Sahasrabuddhe, who was at the
students' deposition, said they told her the Chalaks abused all the children
except two who were the daughters of one of them. After Childline spoke to the
parents, they gathered courage to file a complaint with the police station.
"They are farmers and they were devastated,'' she added.
District women and child
welfare officer Meenakshi Birajdar told pune-news.com
they would close down this ashram. She said people must report any such homes
in the district that operate without the requisite permissions. "It is a
violation of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015. We will increase our checks on such
homes,''she said.
Child welfare committee
member Anita Vipat told pune-news.com they will visit the ashram
and take the children's statements. There are many such illegal ashrams in
Alandi, Dehu and other religious places which have to be monitored by the
authorities. She said parents must also check such places before admitting
their children.
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