Mayawati demands high-level probe

LUCKNOW: BSP president Mayawati on Tuesday said the developments at a state-run shelter home in Kanpur have once again showed the "indifferent attitude" of the Uttar Pradesh government towards protection of women as she demanded a fair probe and action against errant officials. Fifty-seven girls living in the shelter home, five of them pregnant, tested positive for the coronavirus over the last week.

Referring to the "worrisome" developments, she said on Twitter, "This again proves that the UP government is indifferent, careless and irresponsible in protecting women, leave alone respecting them." "It is the demand of the BSP that the UP government should not cover up the incident of Kanpur shelter home but take strict action against the culprits by conducting a high-level and fair investigation. Also it is better if proper humanitarian reforms are brought in the system of all such protection homes," she added.

The Kanpur district administration had on Sunday clarified that the girls were pregnant at the time they came to the shelter home.

"The five pregnant girls, who have been found COVID19 positive, were referred by the child welfare committees of Agra, Etah, Kannauj, Firozabad and Kanpur under the POCSO Act. Two other pregnant girls have tested negative for COVID-19. The seven girls were pregnant at the time when they came to the shelter home," Kanpur District Magistrate Brahma Dev Ram Tiwari had told reporters.