9 girls missing from Delhi shelter home

NEW DELHI: Eight women and a minor girl have been missing from a shelter home in Delhi's Dilshad Garden since Saturday. Authorities at the shelter said they did not know why the girls ran away, but other inmates told police they were mistreated. An FIR has been registered at GTB Enclave, police said.
The absence of the nine girls was discovered only on Sunday morning when attendance was taken.Delhi Commission for Women officials said they received information about the escape from a local.
Eight of the women are between the ages of 18 and 20 and one is a minor.
DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal wrote to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, demanding strict action against the officials. Sisodia has ordered the suspension of the district officer and home superintendent.
DCW said the girls were trafficking victims and the possibility of their being kidnapped by brothel owners should be investigated.
"The lapse of the home authorities in securing the place is extremely serious. These nine girls were transferred from a shelter home in Dwarka on May 4 on the orders of a child welfare committee. They were victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. The possibility of the traffickers or brothel owners kidnapping them in connivance with the shelter home authorities needs to be investigated in detail," said a DCW official.
DCP (Shahdara) Meghna Yadav said that an FIR had been registered for one of the girls who is a minor. "The other girls are above the age of 18 and a missing complaint has been lodged for them. Investigation is in progress," she said.
DCW said it had earlier received a detailed complaint from members of the erstwhile CWC-V, Dilshad Garden, regarding irregularities in the functioning of the shelter home. "It was stated that a girl with special needs was subjected to severe abuse and corporal punishment by the superintendent of the home and CWC members had to intervene," said an official.
"Since cruelty to children is a cognizable offence under section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, the commission issued a notice to the department of women and child development and Delhi police enquiring about the reasons for non-registration of an FIR as prescribed under Rule 54(2) of the Juvenile Justice Rules, 2016 on each of the complaints," said the official.
The commission had received another complaint from a CWC member about the superintendent of the home beating several other girls. However, no action was taken by either the women and child development department or Delhi police.
"The department of women and child development has failed in its duty to provide a safe and secure environment for minor girls who were placed under protection of the state. Further, the instances of earlier lapses on the part of the same home, which were not acted upon by the department as mentioned by chairperson, DCW, is also extremely serious and raises a serious doubt on the intention of the officers of department of women and child development. In view of the same, it is directed that the district officer, northeast, WCD and superintendent, SAG home, are immediately placed under suspension and their charge is given to competent and sensitive officers," Manish Sisodia wrote to the chief secretary.