Bhopal: Shelter Home Caretaker Arrested for Burning Private Parts of Minor Girls

The Bhopal police have arrested the caretaker of a government-recognised shelter home, who has been accused of burning private parts of minor girls to stop them from wetting the bed.

This incident has raised many questions on the disciplinary measures taken in shelter homes.

The incident came to light after a mother, whose daughter faced the heinous treatment for bed-wetting, lodged a complaint with the help of a three-member team comprising a member each from the Child Welfare Committee, the Women and Child Development department and Childline to the Bajriya police on Tuesday morning, reported Hindustan Times,

A medical examination of the woman's daughter confirmed the charges.

On their visit to the shelter home, the three-member team and the woman were surprised to learn that the same painful treatment had been metted out to two other minor girls on the same day by the caretaker, Kalawati.

The minor girls also informed them that a 10-year-old inmate of the shelter home used to burn the others on the instruction of Kalawati. When questioned, the 10-year-old girl confessed to have committed the misdeed on instructions of the caretaker, who had asked her to burn the private parts of the girls with a candle.

However, inquiries are on to find out whether the girl acted on the orders of the caretaker or burnt them on her own. Statements of the other inmates of the shelter home have also been recorded.

Meanwhile, Kalawati has been booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC for committing the heart-wrenching crime.