The head of a children’s home in Delhi has been arrested after six girls all under 10 accused him of sexually assaulting them and filming the acts, the police said on Thursday.
R S Meena ran the government-run home which houses children rescued from trafficking, begging and labour rackets. He allegedly filmed the assaults on his mobile phone and took selfies, police said.
“We arrested the accused after recording statements of the victims and the officials,” said senior police officer Satish Kain, adding that medical tests confirmed sexual assault.
Delhi Women and Child Welfare minister Sandeep Kumar has met with the young victims.
According to the FIR, Meena, the officer to take charge of the boys —who are housed separately—and said he would monitor the girls. He reportedly took the girls to a separate room. He then took them one by one to another room, locked it from the inside and assaulted them. When the girls cried in pain and tried to get away, he told them he was conducting a ‘check-up’ and allegedly gagged them. The girls said he also filmed the act. Shortly after, he left for the day.
The crime came to light when the caretaker returned two hours later and the girls detailed the incident to her. She reported the matter to the government’s social welfare department which in turn informed the Child Welfare Committee. The CWC approached the police and an FIR was registered leading to Meena’s arrest on Tuesday night.
More than 50 children aged between six and 10 live at the facility in the capital.
Police are investigating whether Mr. Meena lured the girls to a room on the pretext they needed a “checkup” and then gagged and assaulted them, before threatening to throw them out if they raised the alarm.
The girls complained about the assaults to the caretaker who had been away from the facility when the offences occurred.
