Twenty-six girls from Gujarat, Jharkhand, and other states have reportedly gone missing from an unregistered orphanage in Madhya Pradesh. The current whereabouts of these girls remain unknown. Lack of information is posing a significant challenge for authorities in determining their locations.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed at Parwaliya Sadak Police Station in Bhopal under sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The FIR names Anil Methew, the manager of the children's home, as an accused, according to news agency ANI.
The FIR outlines that out of the 68 girls registered at the home, aged between 6-18 years, 26 were found missing. It emphasizes that the children's home was not being run in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and was unregistered.
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, expressed concern over the situation, stating in a tweet, "I have taken note of the case of 26 girls going missing from an unauthorized orphanage in the Parvaliya police station area of Bhopal. Considering the severity and sensitivity of the matter, I urge the government to take immediate cognizance and prompt action."
The unsettling situation came to light during an unannounced visit by Priyank Kanungo, the chairman of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), to the Anchal Girls' Hostel in the Parwalia area on the outskirts of Bhopal. Upon inspecting the register, it was revealed that, although there were entries for 68 girls, 26 of them were conspicuously absent.
Chairman Priyank Kanungo conveyed the alarming situation in a letter addressed to Chief Secretary Veena Rana, stating, "Aanchal Children's Home in Bhopal was inspected. During this, interactions took place with the officials of the children's home and the children residing there. It came to light that the children's home is neither registered nor recognized." Furthermore, it was revealed that the hostel lacked CCTV cameras, and against regulations, two male guards were present at night, instead of the mandated female guards for a girls' hostel."