Gaya adoption centre director, 4 others held for child abuse

GAYA: Five persons, including the director and two women staff of a government-funded adoption centre at Lakhibagh in Bihar’s Gaya district, were arrested on Saturday on charges of child abuse. The accused have been booked under Sections 6 and 9 of Pocso Act and Sections 34 and 120(B) of IPC and sent to jail.
Unclaimed and abandoned children were kept at the centre run by an NGO, ECOVIK.It has now been sealed and its 13 inmates shifted to other facilities located in Munger and Nalanda districts, Gaya SSP Rajiv Mishra said. “The inmates were medically examined before they were shifted,” he added. As per government records, there are 24 adoption centres across Bihar for unclaimed/abandoned children, who are handed over to people desirous of adopting a child. As per reports, a US couple had adopted a girl inmate of the Lakhibagh centre a few months ago.
When the girl complained of “problems” in her private parts, the couple sought medical help. Doctors in the US examined her and opined she was earlier abused.
The couple contacted the Indian embassy following which the Child Welfare Department officials inspected the adoption centre on Saturday. SHO Rupesh Kumar Sinha said a senior official of the state Social Welfare Department was the complainant in the case.
Sources said, besides the alleged child abuse, the centre’s officials have also been found involved in fraudulent misuse of government funds received to run the facility.
In December last year, death penalty was prescribed for offences committed under Section 6 of the Pocso Act.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)