Indore: 21 orphans tortured, branded with hot iron, says report
At least 21 children — between the ages of four and 14 — have alleged abuse and torture by the staff in an Indore orphanage. The incident came to light during a surprise inspection by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The children have alleged that they were hung upside down, branded with a hot iron and tortured with red chili smoke. They were even photographed naked as punishment for minor mistakes or sometimes for no reason at all, they alleged.
Police register case against orphanage employees
Following a complaint by the CWC, police registered a case against five employees of the orphanage under the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complaint also seeks charges under POCSO Act and human trafficking. No arrests have been made yet. Further investigation is underway, police said.
Hostel sealed, says Indore collector
The FIR details several other instances of abuse. In one case, "a four-year-old child was locked in the bathroom and not given food for two-three days after he defecated in his pants." The FIR includes photographs of children's injuries, which appear consistent with the claims of being branded with hot iron. According to reports, the orphanage was not registered under the Juvenile Justice Act. Indore collector Asheesh Singh said, "We have sealed the hostel and shifted children to government facilities."
21 girls have been shifted to two other shelters
Senior officials of CWC said they were intimated of the allegations of abuse at the orphanage run by the Vatsalyapuram Jain Trust on January 12. A team raided the premises on January 13. "We rescued 21 girls who have now been shifted to two other shelters in Indore," the official said. "On Wednesday, committee chairperson Pallavi Porwal filed a complaint at the Vijay Nagar police station against four persons," the official added.
Children's statements recorded by investigators
Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Keerti Tomar recorded statements from the children at government shelters. Chandrabhan Singh, in charge of Vijay Nagar Police Station, said, "They did not speak about being hung upside down, as mentioned in the FIR, but did say they were mistreated and beaten up." The children at the facility are orphans from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh. The orphanage has branches in Indore, Jodhpur, Surat, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.
