Minor rape survivor sent back to accused family by CWC, raped again; 10 booked | Bhopal News
BHOPAL: Police in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh registered an FIR against 10 people, including the chairperson and members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), senior officials of the women and child development department, and staff of a One Stop Centre, under provisions of the POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act.The action came after it was found that the CWC sent a minor rape survivor back to the family of the youth already accused of assaulting her, where she was raped again. According to investigators, the youth earlier took the girl, aged 17, to Delhi, where he was caught in Gurugram and sent to jail after a case was registered at Panna Kotwali.Since Panna does not have a child reform home, the case was later transferred to Chhatarpur police. During this period, the CWC allegedly decided to hand over the survivor to the accused’s family, a move police say directly exposed her to further abuse.SP Sri Krishna Thota said action was taken following the “wrong decision” of the committee and officials who put the child in danger. “They shouldn’t have sent the girl to the family which is directly connected to the person who exploited her,” said the officer.Based on the findings, cases were registered against CWC chairperson Bhanu Pratap Jadia and members Anjali Bhadauria, Ashish Bose, Sudip Srivastava, and Pramod Kumar Singh under Section 17 of the POCSO Act for abetment of crime. One Stop Centre administrator Kavita Pandey, counsellor Priyanka Singh, and case worker Shivani Sharma were booked under Section 21 of the POCSO Act for failing to report the offence.District women and child development officer Awadhesh Singh was charged under the POCSO Act, the SC-ST Act, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for acting against the law. In addition, Anjali Kushwaha was booked under Section 82 of the Juvenile Justice Act for corporal punishment to children.Police said no arrests have been made so far, but senior officials, including the district women and child development officer, are being interrogated, and further action will follow.
