Dhenkanal: Ten days have passed since a 10-year-old girl, whose father was behind bars on charges of killing her mother, has allegedly been sold off for Rs 50, 000 in Goa but steps to rescue her haven’t yet succeeded.
The District Child Welfare Committee received a complaint regarding the minor girl from a village near Gondia in Dhenkanal district December 29.
After an investigation from District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and District Child Protection Unit have started, CWC Chairman Pratap Kumar Acharya said he had informed the matter to the Collector and Superintendent of Police for the girl’s rescue.
According to a report, the minor girl’s father is in jail for killing her mother three years ago. The girl has three siblings — two brothers and one sister.
Some of her relatives with the help of some ‘dalals’ allegedly took her to Goa.
Some of her family members sought CWC’s intervention after having failed to contact the girl.
Acharya said, “After receiving the complaint me and my team visited the village to verify the allegation. We came to know that the girl has been sold off for Rs 50,000.”
Meanwhile, following the direction of DLSA Chairman and District Sessions Judge Gajendra Mahapatra, a team comprising DLSA Secretary Arun Kumar Pattanayak, District Child Protection Officer Anuradha Goswami, Paralegal volunteer Kabita Behera visited the girl’s village.
When contacted, SP Santosh Kumar Nayak said after going through the CWC’s letter the case will be investigated either by DSP of women and child section or by additional SP. All necessary steps will be taken to rescue the girl.
While the case of inmates of Beltikiri shelter home being sexually harassed is still fresh in mind, another sensitive case of a minor girl being sold off in Goa has raised questions on the role of district administration.
“The administration is supposed to take care of the four children who are virtually orphaned and vulnerable too after the death of their mother and the arrest of their father,” locals pointed out.
PNN