The NHRC on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government has informed it that in response to the rights panel's notices in a case of alleged sexual exploitation of 16 girls at a Nashik shelter home, the accused director of the institution has been arrested and a trial is going on in a court.
The National Human Rights Commission in a statement also said that financial assistance of ₹4 lakh each will be paid to all the victims.
The Commission had registered the case suo motu based on media reports about the incident on November 28, 2022, it said.
The NHRC has been informed by the Maharashtra government in response to its notices in this case that the "accused director of the said (shelter) home was arrested and the trial is going on in a court", the statement said.
Financial assistance sanctioned
Of the financial assistance of ₹4 lakh each to paid to all the victims, ₹3 lakh each has been sanctioned to be paid in two instalments. The remaining amount of 1 lakh each will be paid to them after the completion of the trial, it added.
Besides the financial assistance, the government has also admitted the victims to school for further education. The girls are also being given counselling at regular intervals, the statement said.
The Commission has asked the District Women and Child Development Officer, Nashik to expedite the payment of the sanctioned instalments of ₹3 lakh each to the victims and disburse the remaining amount of ₹1 lakh each to them after the completion of the trial, it added.
The chief secretary and director general of police, Maharashtra, were issued notices calling for a detailed report, including the status of the FIR specifying penal offences involved in the case, progress and outcome of investigation, arrest of the accused if any, health status of the victim girls and monetary relief or rehabilitation if any, provided by the state authorities to the victim, the NHRC said.
They were expected to inform about the counselling provided to the victims, especially to the minor victims of the traumatic incident, it said in its statement.
The Commission had also asked its Special Rapporteur for Maharashtra to submit a report. He informed that "sexual exploitation of minor girls" was going on for the last more than three years and also during the pandemic period in 2019 and an FIR was registered, it said.
