HC summons WCD Secretary after 42 kids flee remand home
The Bombay High Court on Monday summoned the Maharashtra Women and Child Development Secretary after 42 children went missing over the last three years from a Mumbai remand home. The court criticised the Maharashtra government for lack of 'pro-active action' in the matter. The Bombay High Court is hearing a PIL on the allegations of corruption in the remand home.
Days after Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde told the state Assembly that 42 children went missin in the last three years from a remand home in Mumbai, the Bombay High Court today summoned department's secretary to appear in person.The high court today came down heavily on the Maharashtra government after an affidavit was filed by Women and Child Development Secretary Vineeta Singhal in a case of corruption in the Dongri Children's Home of Mumbai. The affidavit does not mention anything about the action that the government has taken against accused persons in the Dongri Children's Home case. The high court has directed Vineeta Singhal to appear in person next week to explain government's stand in the case.A sting operation had shown corruption in the Mumbai Children's Home. The division bench of justice R M Savant and Justice Sadhna Jadhav noted that "from reading the affidavit, we gather that it has only been filed to comply with our orders. We expected some pro-active action from state government."PIL AND THE CASE A letter had been sent by a former chief justice of Kolkata High Court who had spoken about the disturbing sting after which it was converted into a petition by the Bombay High Court. The bench had sent a notice to the government, which filed its response today.As many as 42 juveniles had fled the Dongri remand home located in the city in the last three years. The matter was raised in the Maharashtra Assembly. There were also reports that juveniles were being kept in the children's home in violation of norms.In a written response to a question by Pravin Darekar (BJP), Pankaja Munde said that from 2014-15 to 2016-17, 42 children had fled the Dongri remand home. Out of those, 16 were traced and brought back and one security official was suspended.GOVERNMENT'S REPLY IN COURTThe Bombay High Court sought to know if any action had been taken by the state government against those who were shown indulging in malpractice. The affidavit only mentioned that a show cause notice was sent to one person while the guard of the children's home was suspended. When public prosecutor Arajakta Shinde told the court that an inquiry was going on, Justice Savant asked, "What kind of inquiry happens we all know. Assurance is not going to help."Justice Jadhav said, "We are not satisfied with the manner in which this affidavit has been filed. We expect some seriousness. Therefore, we directed the secretary to file the affidavit." The bench was furious with the government's response. The court said that it was not a matter of only suspicion as a CD of the corruption and other materials had already come out in public domain. A process of cleansing should have started by now, the bench said.The Bombay High Court directed the Women and Child Development Secretary to be appear in person before the court in the next hearing next week.ALSO READ | Mumbai teen kills self, could be first Indian case of Blue Whale suicide challenge 