BALANGIR: A Bhawanipatna-based childcare institution, Vision, has come under scanner over alleged sexual assault of an HIV-afflicted girl by its head.
The serious allegation came to fore on Saturday when the mother of the lodged a complaint that her daughter, an inmate of the shelter home, was sexually assaulted by head of the institution Saroj Das.
Vision sheltered children affected by HIV and facilitated regular checkups and their treatment with the government support.
The girl, who comes from a poor economic background, was raped by her relative two years back. After her family members found out that she was HIV positive, they wrote to the then Collector to take her in a shelter home. The District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) then produced her before the child welfare committee and she was sent to Vision two years back.
The mother of the girl in her complaint to the DCPO, Balangir, alleged that her daughter was being sexually assaulted for the last one year. She had gathered the courage to inform her mother recently, following which she brought her back to Balangir on Saturday.
The girl in her statement to the officer alleged that other girls in the childcare institution were also being sexually assaulted. Balangir Social Welfare Officer, Binodini Pradhan said an inquiry has been called into the incident.
Meanwhile, Das has refuted the allegations.
He told the media that the girl was demanding money from him and on when he did not agree to it, she lodged the allegations against him.
Minor girl raped, accused flees
A police complaint has been filed against one Krishna of Ekamba village under Umerkote police limits for allegedly raping a minor girl of the same village.
Although the incident took place on Wednesday, the girl registered complaint on Saturday.
A Class IX student of school run by Tribal Welfare Department in Chandahandi block in Nabarangpur district, she was residing in the school hostel. She had come to her village on Wednesday and stayed in her aunt’s house in the night.
When she woke up in the middle of the night to answer nature’s call, the accused kidnapped the girl and took her to Nilgiri forest where he raped her. Basing on her complaint, police registered a case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012.
The girl’s statement has been recorded and further investigation is on. The accused is absconding and police have launched a manhunt to nab him, said SDPO, Bijay Kumar Nayak.