Not unsurprisingly, the PBK women are now taking action against what must surely be their illegal detention ...
We are being kept forcibly in children's home, allege girls
The parents of 48 girls, who were sent to children’s home — Minda Bal Gram in Alipur after the raid at the ashrams of Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya — have moved the Delhi High Court seeking release of their daughters and other adult females.
The parents in the petition to the court have said that their daughters have been illegally detained despite them being adults, and are being subjected to mental torture. The petition also claims that the process of age verification of the girls is being delayed for unknown reasons.
The petition was moved by a mother of a 19-year old girl on behalf of other parents through advocate Amol Khokne which claims that she was an active follower of the ashram activities.
The hearing in the matter is on Friday. The girls have also written to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) that they are forcefully being kept in the children’s home by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). In the handwritten letter to the CJI, the girls have mentioned that they are being subjected to questions that they are not aware of.
“When we asked the home staff to call our parents, they said that their identities will be verified first.” The girls said, in the letter, that they were brought to the children’s home on the assurance that they would be kept there just for a day but they had been there for over 13 days.
The petition claims that none of the girls detained was allowed to take their luggage and medicines with them. They complained of dirty bedsheets, shortage of water and soap for bathing and washing clothes.
The high court has now ordered the city government to send a team of doctors to examine each of the inmates at the ashram after the panel said many of the girls were sick and received no medical attention. It also directed the CWC chairperson to visit the premises and take steps in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.