The Horror Story Of Shelter Homes

Following the Deoria shelter home sex scandal, massive irregularities were found across shelter homes in the state

- Ajay Uprety

On the night of August 5, the police raided the Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila and Balika Sanrakshan Griha in Deoria, following the confession of a 10-year-old inmate who managed to escape from there. She told the police that girls at the shelter home were sexually exploited, and were beaten up if they did not comply with the orders of ‘madam’—Girija Tripathi, who runs the home. The girls were allegedly sent to nearby districts like Gorakhpur and Varanasi to entertain clients, and were paid 0200-0300. The police rescued 24 girls and sealed the shelter home. Five persons, including Girija and her husband, Mohan, were arrested. But, 18 other girls, whose names were on the rolls of the shelter home, were missing at the time of the raid.

After the Deoria shelter home sex racket came to light, the Uttar Pradesh government sought a report from all shelter homes in the state, and raids are being carried out across districts. State Minister of Women and Child Welfare Rita Bahuguna Joshi told THE WEEK, “Reports from shelter homes in various districts have reached the department. They are being studied, but at first glance it can be said that there are massive irregularities.” At a shelter home in Pratapgarh, for instance, 26 girls were found to be missing. In another shelter home in Pilibhit, around 23 women were said to be missing.