A special CBI court in Panchkula on Wednesday pronounced nine people guilty of sexually exploiting the inmates of an orphanage, ‘Apna Ghar’, in Rohtak in Haryana.
“One of the accused has been acquitted. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on April 24,” defence lawyer Abhishek Rana told reporters.
In 2012, allegations surfaced relating to sexual abuse and physical and mental torture of the inmates, including women and minor girls, at the shelter home run by NGO Bharat Vikas Sangh.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had rescued nearly 120 inmates from the shelter after carrying out a raid on May 9, 2012, following a tip-off by three inmates who had escaped to Delhi.
CBI probe
A month after the raid, the shelter was sealed and the State government handed over the case to the CBI.
A probe panel constituted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court had in its report also recommended investigation by the CBI into the entire episode citing sexual, physical, mental exploitation and the use of inmates as bonded labourers at the shelter.
The nine who have been held guilty include Jaswanti Devi, the head of the shelter, her daughter Sushma, son-in-law Jai Bhagwan, Jaswanti's brother Jaswant Singh, cousin Sheela, counsellor Veena, employees Satish and Ram Prakash Saini, and a friend, Roshni. Rohtak’s former Child Development Project Officer Angrez Kaur Hooda has been acquitted.
