Dhenkanal: Police have started an investigation into the charges of sexual exploitation and forcible conversion of minors against Fayaz Raheman, the arrested chairman of tainted shelter home ‘Dream Centre’ at Beltikiri in Dhenkanal district.
The children at the shelter home operated by an NGO ‘Good News India’ were not only subjected to sexual exploitation but also forced to convert to another religion. Police are probing the charges as a POCSO court allowed the former to take Raheman on two days remand from Tuesday.
The investigation has been launched on the basis of media reports and the police have started examining various aspects of the charges, SP Santosh Kumar Nayak said.
Raheman the chairman of the institution, project director and shelter home in-charge Seemanchal Nayak, assistant director Udit Kumar Lima were arrested Sunday following allegations of sexual harassment of minor inmates.
Apprehending that some of the inmates might spill the beans, Raheman has sent 13 minor girls to the neighbouring states without the knowledge of the district administration, a report said.
A police team has been formed to trace the 13 missing minor girls. The absence of these girls was noticed during the shifting of the inmates from the shelter home Sunday. According to the police, the shelter home had 94 inmates, including 62 minor girls, and 32 minor boys.
Raids across the state
In the wake of the sealing of an unregistered shelter home run by ‘Good News India’ in Dhenkanal and rehabilitation of its inmates, simultaneous raids were conducted on its branches in Puri, Rayagada and Bhadrak districts to investigate the authenticity of the so-called ‘shelter home.’
A 4-member team of Puri Child Welfare Committee (CWC), conducted raid on another shelter home situated at Penthakata with around 84 inmates Monday. The district administration had served a closure notice on the shelter home back in 2016.
A similar raid was conducted in Rayagada under the leadership of CWC chairman Rajkishore Sahoo and at Tihidi branch in Bhadrak. Special teams visited the shelter home to substantiate documents, cross check records and verify the standard of care. The reports of the raids are to be given to respective District Collectors, officials said.
A five-member team including the Collector and the district child protection officer conducted a raid at a shelter home at Chuliaposi under Udala block in Mayurbhanj district. The team had a discussion with the inmates about their problems and went through the documents of the shelter home.
Out of total 61 inmates, some were absent from the shelter home for their schools. Hence, the team will visit the center again, source said.
The deadline of the shelter home has already expired for eight months now, it was learnt.
PNN