New Delhi: The CBI has registered six new cases related to alleged abuse of inmates in shelter homes in Bihar, taking the tally to nine, officials said Thursday.
The cases have been registered on the basis of details given in the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) audit report of shelter homes in Bihar, which brought to fore sordid stories of mismanagement, abuse and unlivable conditions.
In its May 2018 report, the institute expressed "grave concerns" on the management of 17 shelter homes, including 'Balika grih' in Muzzafarpur where 34 girls had reported abuse at the hands of office-bearers and outsiders.
The audit report was submitted to the state government and later became the basis of a Supreme Court order directing a CBI probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.
The apex court later handed over the remaining 16 cases to the agency too.
The CBI, which had on Wednesday booked two shelter homes in Bhagalpur and Gaya, registered six new cases against Novelty Welfare Society, which ran a short-stay home in Munger district; Panaah shelter home, also in same district; Gram Swaraj Sewa Sansthan which ran a short-stay home in Kaimur; Om Sai Foundation which ran sewa kutir in Muzzafarpur; and short-stay home run by Ikard and Kaushal Kutir run by Don Bosco Tech Society in Patna.
It is alleged that the director of Novelty Welfare Society and others used to lock the room of a mentally-sick woman inmate causing wrongful restraint and confinement and ill-treated other inmates.
It also sublet a portion of the shelter home for a rent of Rs 10,000 and did not provide proper ventilation or sanitation facilities for the inmates, the FIR alleged.
In the case of 'Panaah', it is alleged that office-bearers of the home "physically exploited" the inmates forcing them to do manual work including cooking and cleaning, the FIR stated.
It said the shelter home was being run from a building meant for an observation home and was not "livable" for young children.
The CBI has booked Sudarshan Ram, Pintu Pal and Tara Devi, all office-bearers of Gram Swaraj Sewa Sansthan, which ran the short-stay home at Lalpur in Kaimur district.
It is alleged that the security guard was sexually abusive, passing lewd comments and physically assaulting women and girls inmates. He managed day-to-day affairs of the home giving him undue power and authority over residents.
The director of Om Sai Foundation has also been booked by the agency for allegedly subjecting inmates to physical assault and verbal abuse.
The short-stay home in Patna run by Ikard reported repeated violence, according to the agency FIR.
It is alleged several girl inmates who lost their way were kept there. In spite of providing addresses and phone numbers of their homes, they were not put in touch with their families.
A girl had committed suicide nearly a year ago as she could not cope with the violent atmosphere, while another girl lost her mental balance, it alleged.
It was reported that they got no clothes, medicines, toiletries with very poor quality of food being served to the inmates.
The CBI has also booked the caretaker of Kaushal Kutir run by NGO Don Bosco Tech Society in Patna, for alleged abusive behaviour.
Male and female inmates were not allowed to speak or even look at each other, the FIR alleged. The open space was not accessible for inmates of the shelter home, it said.
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