Police to SCAN El-Shadaai
PTI, PANAJI | 11 May 2012 12:59 ISTThe role of a prominent Goa NGO into the juvenile smuggling episode, involving a state-run shelter home, would be investigated if some evidence is found against it, police today said.
Superintendent of Police (North) Vijay Singh told PTI that the inquiry would be conducted against Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) NGO, which receives funding specially from the UK.
The caretakers had alleged that some of the children were pushed into crime when they were in the custody of the NGO.
SCAN, is a project of El-Shadaai, an organisation which receives fundings from outside the country.
The caretakers attached to 'Apna Ghar', a government-run shelter home for children managed by the Directorate of Women and Child Welfare, had alleged that two of the four children arrested by police recently for robberies were in custody of SCAN.
It had taken them from the protective home for rehabilitation.
They had demanded a police inquiry into the matter.
Porvorim police had arrested four children, an alleged gangster and a caretaker in connection with the nexus involving the staffers and gangsters.
According to police, the juveniles were used in crimes like robbing vehicles and their involvement was even found in one of the murder cases.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Women and Child Welfare supported the NGO, saying there was nothing to be probed into the matter.
"The children were in NGO custody when they were arrested and not when they were involved in robbery," Sanjiv Gadkar, Director of Women and Child Welfare said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had asked the police to file FIR against six caretakers, who were allegedly involved in letting the children escape from remand home.