The rise of private orphanages across WB has become a cause of concern after the State child protection cell uncovered a racket surrounding orphanages.
KOLKATA: The mushrooming of private orphanages across West Bengal has become a cause of concern after the State Child Protection Cell uncovered a racket surrounding orphanages which forced inmates into begging and flesh trade.
While torture inflicted upon orphans by officials is nothing new, the cell has of late unearthed many such rackets where inmates are forced to go for begging or enter the flesh trade in exchange for two meals a day. Sexual harassment of female inmates by resident officials has also become quite frequent, investigating officials of the cell have found.
The cases which occurred in the suburbs of the state were brought to the notice of the cell by different voluntary organisations. The seriousness of some cases has prompted the Chief Minister’s secretariat to react and order the district magistrates concerned, to take immediate action.
The latest of such cases which caught the attention of the CM’s secretariat, was a home called “Kishore Bharati,” at Bali in Howrah district.
Two tortured inmates, Rupa Biswas and Priyanka Nath, somehow managed to escape from the home and contact a voluntary organisation, Child-Line India Foundation (CIF) and narrated the entire story of how they were forced to earn their livelihood through begging and subjected to constant sexual harassments by the Home Secretary, Swapan Roy.
Both Nath and Biswas complained that the inmates were sent to bus-stands or train compartments for begging every morning. “Our earnings for the day used to determine what quality of food would be provided to us the next day,” Nath revealed.
CIF immediately informed the state CM, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on the matter and he ordered an enquiry by the state Child Protection Cell. The cell Secretary, S Dey confirmed the submission of the entire investigation report to the CM.
The secretariat has asked the Howrah District Magistrate concerned to close down the home. The Home Secretary, S Roy has also been arrested.
Another child welfare organisation, “Chandril” also caught the attention of the cell for similar irregularities.
Organisation secretary, Chandrika Mukherjee told DNA that they had received specific complaints about how some of the home officials forced the female inmates to enter the flesh trade to earn their daily meals.
“We did a joint investigation with Child Protection Cell and the district police authorities. The inmates were rescued and the home was also closed down,” she said.
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