Ten persons, including a senior official of the rank of assistant director in the state government’s women and child development and social welfare department, have been arrested in connection with charges of sexual abuse of children in a government-run home in Howrah.
One of the arrested women included the daughter-in-law of a former deputy mayor of Howrah, police sources said.
All 10 were arrested on Saturday and produced before the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court later in the day and remanded in judicial custody.
“We received a complaint from a woman who had adopted a child from this home. The child had certain problems and had complained specifically against 10 persons for abusing and beating her. Based on her statement and a complaint lodged by her mother, we have arrested the 10 persons,” said Howrah city police commissioner C. Sudhakar.
Sections of sexual harassment under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and charges of rape under the Indian Penal Code have been levelled against them.
The arrests were related to allegations of sexual abuse on children in the Howrah home named Karuna West Bengal Women and Children Welfare Society — from where children are offered for adoption.
“We are trying to get the test identification parade of the accused persons inside the jail before seeking their custody for further investigation,” Sudhakar said.
There are several state government-aided homes across Bengal from where children are offered for adoption through the “Central Adoption Resource Authority.” According to the rule, these children — who are either orphans or have been abandoned by their biological parents — are being officially taken care of by these homes till their adoption.
Shashi Panja, minister for the state’s department of women and child development and social welfare, reacted to the arrests and told media persons on Saturday: “Law should take its own course.”
Sources said a team comprising both men and women officers from Howrah city police raided multiple locations early on Saturday morning and arrested 10 persons, including nine women who are directly attached with the home on Salkia Sriram Dhang Road.
West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti said the pandemic had disrupted the physical inspections at the homes by the Child Welfare Committee and WBCPCR members.
“The pandemic had changed the way inspections were done. Only online inspections were done... But this incident is very concerning....We want strict punishment for these people.”