Naveed Iqbal , Naveed Iqbal : New Delhi, Tue Mar 13 2012, 02:27 hrs

Representatives of 26 NGOs on Monday held a protest against the "alleged cases of child abuse in institutions meant for child protection", and demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged instances.

The organisations also demanded dissolution of the management committee of the Arya Orphanage.

Atiya Bose, director of NGO Aangan, said, "There were allegations of a similar kind against the staff of Arya Orphanage three years ago and no action was taken. This is why such incidents have been repeated."

The group said the progress in the case was extremely slow and children continued to live in the same institution with the same people against whom they have given statements.

Former chairperson of Nirmal Chhaya Child Welfare Committee Bharti Sharma said the management of the institution was trying to trivialise the issue by saying that "only two children have been subject to harassment".

She said the management needs to be held accountable for the incidents and even isolated incidents have an adverse effect on the minds of other children. "Even if a single child is subjected to abuse by a member of the staff, it leads to a fear in the minds of other children," she said.

President of the managing committee of Arya Orphanage Viresh Pratap Chaudhry, meanwhile, called the protest against the orphanage and its sister institutions as "a malicious design to destabilise the good work being done by these institutions".

He said when a PIL is pending on the subject and an administrator has been appointed by Lieutenant- Governor to oversee the functioning and management of the two institutions and the work of the administrator is being monitored by the Delhi High Court, a dharna to demand further action is a "gross abuse" of the process of the Delhi High Court.

http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/ngos-hold-protest-demanding-cbi-inquiry–arya-panel-says-abuse-of-court-process/923031/