Deaths at kids’ shelter: Officials still silent on inquiry report, action

Even as a magisterial inquiry into the deaths of five children at a shelter for children with special needs here was completed and its report submitted to the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department on Wednesday, officials remained tight-lipped on the report’s findings even on Friday.

According to the Lucknow district magistrate’s office and WCD director Sandeep Kaur, the inquiry team submitted the report to WCD on April 2. Kaur, on Thursday, had said the findings of the report, and orders for consequent action, would be shared with the media on Friday.

Meanwhile, there were rumours of the report suggesting blacklisting of Nirvan Rajkiya Bal Grah Visheshikrit, the shelter in question.

District probation officer Vikas Singh and deputy director of Mahila Kalyan Punit Mishra claimed to have no knowledge of the proceedings of the review. The WCD director could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts to reach her over phone.

While suspicions regarding the facility’s upkeep and its treatment of inmates continued to swirl, some precautionary measures have been taken by the district authorities to ensure that the inmates get clean and purified water.

Out of the 25 children who were hospitalised, only two remained under observation at Lok Bandhu and Balrampur Hospitals, as confirmed by medical superintendent Dr AS Tripathi (Lok Bandhu) and chief medical superintendent Dr SK Pandey (Balrampur).

District magistrate Vishak G said on April 1 that the probe team members were finalising the report results for submission. It took over a week to finalise the report since officials were awaiting water and food sample test results. Also, health screenings of all children had to be conducted, he had said.