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Sexual abuse of mentally challenged

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/5/2013 11:27:34 PM

J&K govt likely to take possession of Home

JAMMU, Sep 5: State government is likely to take possession of Rotary Inner Wheel Home for Mentally Retarded Children Channi Rama after expose of a shameful act of sexual abuse of minor mentally challenged girls. The state administration has already begun an exercise in this regard today.
Official sources said that state government decided to take possession of Rotary Inner Wheel Home for Mentally Retarded Children Channi Rama. Today local administration convened a meeting at Home premises which was attended by Commissioner (ADC) Jammu Sushma Chouhan, officer of Social Welfare department and representatives of Red Cross and NGO Child Line. Thorough discussions to work out the modalities were held, sources said, adding that another meeting to take final decision would be convened tomorrow, sources added.
Police, on the other hand, under the supervision of senior police officers continued investigations about the other members of Rotary Inner Wheel Home for Mentally Retarded Channi Rama. They also called a teacher, who used to teach the insane children how to speak and express their feelings. Police is facing tough time in recording the statements of mentally challenged girls as they are unable to speak correctly. Due to their disturbed state of mind, the minor victims are unable to identify the people who exploited them sexually.
The IQ level of the exploited girls is such that they cannot express their feelings before police despite the fact that their medical reports have reflected sexual abuse, police sources said adding with the help of their teacher they can manage to extract some details from them.
In the meanwhile, the questioning of Director of Rotary Inner Wheel Home for Mentally Retarded Children Channi Rama Sudha Sharma of Paloura and Angadh (Cook-cum-Chowkidar) continued on second consecutive day today. Two wardens and at-least four women (outsider) were under the scanner of police in the wake of reports that these girls used to be taken out of the Home during night hours. Women cops have been deployed by the senior officers for the security of these vulnerable children and yet no more arrests have yet been made in the case, police sources averred.
However, since morning, half-a-dozen cops were deployed at the Gate of Home to restrict entry of media persons who rushed to the spot for version of victims and those handling the affairs of Home.
Deputy Inspector General, Shakeel Ahmed Beigh on Thursday said that the facility housed 45 children out of which five girls were sexually assaulted over a period of time.
Around 12 people were employed at the NGO where the roles of women employees were also under scrutiny, the police said.
One of the wardens claimed that the girls were only once taken out of the Home to attend a religious congregation and denied her connivance in any sex abuse with inmates. She said that all the affairs were managed by Director, Principal, Chowkidar and a Safai Karamchari. She, however, admitted that a complaint was submitted by one of the girls before the police and investigation was initiated. She said that she used to come at 4 in the evening and nothing wrong was observed by her.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu Ajit Kumar Sahu said that a complaint was received regarding sexual exploitation of minor insane girls in Rotary Inner Wheel Home for Mentally Retarded Children Channi Rama. Keeping in view the sensitivity of the case, DC constituted a team comprising Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Jammu Sushma Chouhan, 2 gynaecologists, a psychiatrist and Manjri Singh representative of Child Line Jammu.
As there are over a dozen girls and 14 boys of different age in the Home, the enquiry team chose five girls within the age group of 12-15 years. They were examined by the gynaecologists and psychiatrist and they were found to be ‘sexually habitual’ having regular sex.
On his direction, police registered a case FIR number 183 of 2013 under section 376 (C) and 109 RPC in Police Station Trikuta Nagar. Police is investigating how these mentally challenged girls have become ‘sexually habitual’ and who are involved in sex with them, DC added.
Senior Superintendent of Police Jammu Atul Goel said that cops detained Director of Rotary Inner wheel Home for Mentally Retarded Children Channi Rama Sudha Sharma and Angadh (Cook-cum-Chowkidar) for questioning after confirmation of sexual abuse with five girls and registered a case in this connection.
Meanwhile, NPP Student Union and Jammu West Assembly Movement staged protest in Jammu demanding arrest of all the accused involved in exploitation of girls in Home at Channi Rama.