Chhattisgarh: Woman thrashes two kids at adoption centre; video goes viral

Chhattisgarh: In a purported video, a woman staffer can be seen thrashing two children in an NGO-run adoption centre in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. Taking action against the staffer, police on Monday lodged an FIR and took her into custody. Furthermore, the state government also suspended a Woman and Child Development (WCD) department staffer who was posted as in-charge District Programme Officer of Kanker when the incident happened last year.

Accused booked

Officials informed that Seema Dwivedi, Superintendent of 'Visheshkrit Dattak Grahan Agency' (Specialised Adoption Agency or SAA), run by Pratigya Vikas Sanstha, was booked on the direction of Kanker Collector Priyanka Shukla. Orphans below the age of six years are kept in the SAA.

Case registered against Dwivedi

"A case was lodged against Dwivedi under section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC and provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," Shukla said.

"All required measures are being taken to ensure the security and caretaking of the children at the adoption centre," she added.

Video went viral

In the video reported to be from CCTV footage, Dwivedi is seen thrashing a girl, holding her by the hair, and throwing her on the floor. She then lifts the girl, throws her on the bed and continues to thrash her. In the video, the woman can be seen asking another girl to come forward and she too is placed on the bed and thrashed.

"Dwivedi said in her statement she thrashed the two girls of the facility as her mental status was not sound then. She also said despite repeated warnings one of the girls used to accept chocolates from unidentified persons while returning from the Anganwadi centre," the report said. Dwivedi apologised for the act and claimed such an incident has never been repeated at the facility, the inspection report stated, PTI reported.