Home of horror, abuse and trauma
Rescued girls still in shock, will take a few more days to open up further about harassment, says counsellor
DEORIA : Silently following the diktats of ‘Badi Madam’ and ‘Chhoti Madam’ was the only rule for the inmates of Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila Evam Balika Sanrakshan Grih (women shelter home) in Deoria.
Narrating their trauma to women cops and counsellors, the shelter home inmates alleged they were physically assaulted and left to starve, if they did not abide by their orders.
For inmates, shelter home manager Girija Tripathi was ‘Badi Madam’ while her younger daughter and the home’s superintendent Kanchan Lata Tripathi was ‘Chhoti Madam’.
A woman police officer, who did not wish to be named, said one of the girls rescued from the shelter home alleged that every weekend she was forcibly sent to unknown men who sexually exploited her.
She also accused Girija of torturing her if she refused to follow her diktats.
“She told the counsellors that she was sent to different persons. The girl did not know the people but claimed their vehicles and the protocol provided to them suggested they might be senior officials,” the police officer said.
“She alleged that ‘Badi Madam’ used to send her to different persons who sexually abused her,” she said.
The officer said the girl claimed that Girija used to take her out of the shelter home through backdoor when she had to send her somewhere.
“The girl said initially she tried to resist but she was physically assaulted. Finding no way out she started following Girija’s directions. The girl was treated well by Girija when she started following her directions,” she added.
One of woman counsellors said fear was evident in the girl’s eyes when she recounted the terrifying days she spent at the illegally run shelter home.
“She was shivering while talking to police personnel and counsellors even after being freed from the shelter home. She was afraid of speaking against ‘Badi Madam’ and ‘Chhoti Madam’,” she said.
“The rescued girls are still in shock. It will take a few more days to open up further about harassment,” the counsellor said.
The police had raided the shelter home on Sunday night and rescued 24 inmates, including 10 minors, and arrested the shelter home manager Girija Tripathi, her husband Mohan Tripathi.
Later, their daughters Kanchan Lata Tripathi and Kanak Lata Tripathi were also arrested.
Another girl told the counsellors that she reached the shelter home after being abandoned by her family near a railway track.
According to a counsellor, the girl said her mother died about three months ago and her family believed she was responsible for it.
“The girl boarded a train and reached Deoria where government railway police (GRP) personnel found her and sent her to the shelter home. She stayed there for around three months before fleeing on Sunday,” the counsellor said.
The girl alleged the inmates were not allowed to move freely in the shelter home building and they were harassed and made to work round-the-clock.
FOUR ENTRY-EXIT ROUTES
There were four narrow staircases that allowed entry and exit from the shelter home. There were two staircases on the front side of the building where several shops were located on the ground floor.
“The stairs on the backside of the building which opened in the adjoining lane was used by the shelter home staff to take in or send out girls,” alleged a local resident requesting anonymity.
He said he never saw shelter home girls coming out of the building from the front staircase. “People coming to the shelter home in four-wheelers also used the staircase on the backside,” he added.
FREQUENT VISITORS
Besides police and district administration officials, other people also came to the shelter home in four-wheelers.
“One of the most frequent visitors to the shelter home was a person who came in a car that appeared to be a government official vehicle,” another resident said. Though he claimed he did not know the person but added that he appeared to be a senior officer.
“We never talked to any of them as they were accompanied by their staff, including driver and police gunner,” he added.
“People thought they must be visiting the shelter home for official purpose. We never imagined that any wrongdoing was being committed here,” he said.
OFFICIALS LOOKING INTO ALLEGATIONS OF ADOPTION
Though the shelter home manager Girija Tripathi has also been accused of facilitating adoption of orphans without informing district administration officials, the police have not found any evidence to support the charge.Deoria district magistrate Amit Kishore said the allegation of adoption was yet to be verified. “We are trying to coordinate with the officials of Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) to find out if they have any document related to adoption from Deoria shelter home,” he said.