Team News Riveting
Raipur, June 6
The Kanker district administration had suspended the service of a non-government organisation (NGO) managing an adoption centre and lodged an offence against the superintendent for allegedly beating up kids.
On Saturday, a video surfaced that stunned the entire state; propelling the Chhattisgarh High Court to take cognizance of the sensitive issue. In the clip, superintendent of ‘Visheshkrit Dattak Grahan Agency’ (Specialised Adoption Agency or SAA) Seema Dwivedi was caught on camera thrashing two children in the centre.
The NGO was hired for running the centre that housed orphaned children below the age of six years. The incident happened last year.
Chhattisgarh High Court Justice Goutam Bhaduri, who is the executive chairman of Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), instructed the Kanker district judge to submit a report in connection with the incident. The district judge, who also happens to be the head of District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), has been asked to take necessary and appropriate action.
Justice Bhaduri had directed to provide compensation to the two children and free legal aid under the compensation scheme. He also asked the district judges and DLSA chairmen to conduct inspection of children homes, adoption centres, ashrams (hostels) for children and other such facilities in their respective districts under the NALSA (Child Friendly Legal Services to Children and their Protection) Scheme, 2015.
Meanwhile, the woman and child welfare department under Kanker district administration lodged an offence against superintendent Seema Dwivedi. Based in the complaint, a case under section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered.
The Kanker district administration has suspended the services of the NGO. Besides, the nodal officer (district WCD officer) of Mohla-Manpur- Ambagarh Chowki district Chandrashekhar Mishra, who was then posted as the district programme officer of the department in Kanker, has also been placed under suspension for alleged negligence.
