Children's Home, Banjara Hills school incidents prove that girls' safety still a mirage

Orphans, who are vulnerable, are being exploited in Homes where they take shelter. Many cases are being reported time and again though the police take against the accused, still the fate of the victims hangs in the balance as they are being sexually assaulted elsewhere also. But the girls, who are being protected by their parents, too, are in danger as the Banjara Hills school incident is an example. Hence, questions are being raised over the safety of girls.

Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, two girls, who fled from the Children's Home at Neredmet in Hyderabad, unable to bear sexual assault on them were landed in Gummididala of Sangareddy district and there one of the girls was raped by an auto driver, who happened to be the friend of one of the girls.

When the Banjara Hills sschool sexual assault by the driver of the principal on an LKG student was still afresh in the memory of people the fresh incident of sexual assault on a girl in Children's Home shocked the denizens. According to police, two cases were registered against the two accused one at the Neredmet police station and the other at the Gummididala police station in the Sangareddy district.

Shocking details came to light in the Hyderabad sexual assault case as known persons have committed sexual assault on the two girls at Children's Home at Neredmet in Hyderabad. One of the two girls was raped by the accountant of the Children's Home and the sexual assault took place in February this year, according to police.

When two girls, unable to bear harassment in the shelter, ran away to Gummididala, one of them became a victim of rape there. An auto driver known to them committed the offence. As a result, two separate cases have been registered at Naredmet and Gummididala police stations. Cases were registered against both the accused under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences), SC and ST atrocities act and sent to remand.

In the case registered at Neredmet police station, Gollepalli Muralikrishna (27), the main accused, joined the orphanage in Neredmet as an accountant after losing his private job during Covid. There he got acquainted with a girl studying intermediate. In February this year, when the shelter administrators, Victor and his wife, were away, the accountant took the girl to his home and raped her.

The girl kept mum as he warned the girl of dire consequences if she discloses this to anyone and she will be removed from the hostel as well. On the other hand, the hostel in-charge Victor used to make the girls massage their hands and feet. His wife also used to hurl abuses at them. Unable to bear this harassment, the victim ran away from home, along with her three friends on October 19. After reaching Secunderabad, two of them went back to the hostel.

Two other girls reached Gummididala in Sangareddy district. They sought shelter from their friend and auto driver Ganesh (23). That night, Ganesh assaulted one of the two girls. The frightened girl did not tell anyone. Knowing that a missing case has been registered against them at the Neredmet police station, both of the girls reached the police station on October 20.

Meanwhile, the girls, who returned to Children's Home on October 19, did not open their mouths. The officials of the Child Welfare Committee and Bharosa Kendra probed into the issue to find out why they ran away. Counselling was given to both of them. After receiving a complaint from the ChildLine officials, the police changed the missing case and various sections were included under the POCSO, SC, ST Act.

A zero FIR was registered against driver Ganesh in the Neredmet police station and the case was transferred to Gummididala. At present, both the accused have been remanded. The victims were taken to Bharosa Centre and their statements were recorded. The officials of the Women and Child Welfare Department seized the Children's Home. Its recognition has been revoked. Neredmet Inspector Narasimhaswamy said that the case will be investigated further.