New Delhi
In a major security lapse, nine girls- victims of human trafficking and flesh trade- have gone missing from Sanskar Ashram for Girls, a non-statutory shelter home in the East Delhi’s Dilshad Garden.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday ordered the suspension of District Officer of the woman and child development department and Home Superintendent with immediate effect acting on a representation from the Delhi Commission for Women . A communication with the direction has been sent to recently-appointed Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev.

It is to be noted, the DCW had written to the WCD and the Delhi Police earlier after it received a “detailed complaint” from members of the erstwhile Child Welfare Committee (CWC) -V, Dilshad Garden, regarding alleged “irregularities” in the functioning of the same home along with specific complaints against the superintendent who allegedly abused and beat up several minor inmates, including a child with special needs. But the complaints led to no-action, said DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal in her communication to Sisodia.

An FIR has been registered on the missing of the nine girls at GTB Enclave police station, but the DCW which is suspecting that the girls might have been kidnapped by traffickers or brothels owners in connivance with the home authorities, is suggesting that the Delhi Police transfer the case to its crime branch to ensure immediate action is taken to trace the girls.

The incident happened on the intervening night of December 1-2, and it was only the next morning (December 2) that the authorities learnt about the absence of the girls from the home where they had been transferred from another home on the direction of child welfare committee VII on May 4. The home authorities have “feigned ignorance” of the matter.

“It (missing of nine girls) is completely shocking and scary. The lapse of the home authorities in securing the home is extremely serious and warrants immediate intervention. They were victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. A possibility of them being re-trafficked by brothels owners in connivance with the Home authorities cannot be ruled out calling for thorough probe,” said DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal, who said she will write to the police commissioner demanding that the crime branch be involved in the case.

The DCW chief also appealed to police commissioner Amulya Patnaik and Lt Governor Anil Baijal to “ensure that these shelter homes are run properly and victims from disadvantaged sections get care and protection”.

In his order to the CS, Sisodia who is also the WCD minister in the Delhi government, said, “The Department failed in its duty… the instances of earlier lapses on part of the same home which were not acted upon as mentioned by the DCW chairperson is extremely serious and raises a serious doubt on the intension of the concerned officers.”

In its representation to Sisodia, the commission today stated that the chairperson and members CWC-V had to intervene in a specific case of abuse and cruelty meted out to a child with special needs by the Superintendent of the Home earlier.