Bhubaneswar: A team of Odisha Police will be deputed to West Bengal to verify allegation of religious conversions being carried out by an NGO at one of its shelter homes in the neighbouring state.
The NGO, Good News India, is in the news alleged to have tions of sexual harassment at one of its facility at Beltikiri in Dhenkanal district. The incident had sparked statewide outcry and three persons, including the managing director of the NGO, Fayaz Rahman, were arrested in connection with the case.
“We have got some clues that religious conversion of inmates was being undertaken at the NGO’s shelter home at Salgadia in West Bengal. The district police have sought permission of authorities to visit West Bengal in this connection,” Dhenkanal superintendent of police Santosh Nayak told reporters. The SP’s remark that religious conversion of inmates might be taking place at a shelter home run by the NGO in Bengal, was based on information provided by Rahman during his two-day police remand.
The two-day police remand of Rahman ended Wednesday and a local POCSO court extended the MD’s police remand by two more days from 5 pm Wednesday.
Rahman and two others were arrested by the police last week on charge of sexual abuse of minor children at the shelter home in Dhenkanal distsrict. Referring to the video clippings of baptisation (a ritual for conversion to Christianity) being telecast on the electronic media, the SP said the rituals shown in the video were not performed at any shelter home in Odisha.
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