New Delhi: During an inspection of shelter homes in Delhi on Thursday, an expert committee set up by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) found that girls residing in a Dwarka shelter home were allegedly abused by its staff, which often put chilli powder in their private parts to discipline them.
The DCW members interacted with girls aged 6 to 15 and some girls alleged that the female staff put chilli powder in their private parts as punishment. They were also forced to consume chilli powder. Any sort of defiant behaviour from the children would be met with "serious and grave punishment" because of which they had become submissive, the finding said.
The girls were also forced to wash utensils and clothes, clean rooms and toilets, and perform other kitchen chores, as the home did not have adequate staff. There was only one cook in the home for the 22 girls and staff, and the quality of food was not good, the statement said.
They were also beaten with scales for not keeping their rooms clean and not listening to the staff. They were not permitted to go home during summer and winter vacations.
An FIR has been registered against the home under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The committee members shared the allegations with DCW chief Swati Maliwal who reached the home at 8 pm. Maliwal called the Dwarka deputy commissioner of police, who sent a team of senior officers to the home and recorded statements of the children.
A team of DCW counsellors and police has now been deputed in the home 24/7 to ensure the safety of the children.
Earlier, the DCW had set up an expert committee in consultation with the Delhi government on shelter homes to inspect various private and government-run shelter homes and give suggestions for their improvement.
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