Children Taken To Protest Sites, Gross Violations Of JJ Act: NCPCR Tells Delhi HC In Plea By Protection Homes Linked With Activist Harsh Mander

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, yesterday, told the Delhi High Court that two Children Homes associated with Activist Harsh Mander, needs to be looked into. This development comes in after the NCPCR recorded some discrepancies with the management of the said Homes – One of the violations highlighted therein were taking of Children to protest sites, including Jantar Mantar from the Homes.

NCPCR in its reply says,

“During the inspection, prima facie many violations of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and its Model Rules, 2016 and various other irregularities came to the notice of NCPCR, including financial irregularities as the institution was reluctant in disclosing their sources of funding and other relevant document to the inspection team”

Statutory violations recorded by the NCPCR includes,

• Expiry of Registration of one of the homes at the time of inspection
• Inadequacy of Staff and Employment
• Foreign Nationals on employment & Tourist Visas – permitted to give voluntary services
• Institutions not practicing age-segregation amongst children

Reply by NCPCR further adds that as per complaint received from “Kalinga Rights Forum,” children from only a “particular religion” were being housed in the said homes and Centre for Equity Studies, where Mander is the Director, was receiving “hefty funds” going on to be utilized for illicit activities like religious conversion.

Instances of child sexual abuse was also flagged by the NCPCR in its reply before the Delhi High Court.

“The Commission observed this to be a gross violation of the provisions of the POCSO Act, 2012 and had immediately reported this to Delhi Police for further investigation as well,” it said.

In October 2020, NCPCR raided the two homes linked with Mander.

In its January, 2021 report, NCPCR concluded that there were gross violations of the Juvenile Justice Act, including certain instances of child sexual abuse, at the home for boys.

Allegations were denied by the CES, describing it as an attempt to malign its reputation and that of its director, Harsh Mander.

The reply was filed in response to a petition by two children homes, managed by CES, seeking quashing of the inspection reports by the NCPCR.