Chandigarh, April 18: A court here on Wednesday convicted nine people, including a woman whose NGO was running an orphanage, of sexually exploiting minors while one person was acquitted.
The sexual exploitation at the Apna Ghar orphanage in Haryana's Rohtak town came to light in 2012.
The sentencing will be pronounced by the CBI court on April 24.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in May 2012 rescued over 100 inmates of the orphanage following a surprise raid. Most of those sexually exploited were children and young girls.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had, in its 2012 chargesheet, accused seven persons of committing crime against the minors. In an additional chargesheet in 2013, it added three more names.
These included NGO head Jaswanti Devi, her daughter Sushma and a son-in-law Jai Bhagwan. The CBI also accused them of human trafficking.
The CBI charged the accused with rape, forced labour and criminal conspiracy.
The case was handed over to the CBI following pressure from various quarters.
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India denied Pope Francis’ visit, say Bishops; ‘government did not open the door’
New Delhi: Following the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, senior Indian bishops have expressed sorrow not only over his passing but also over what they describe as a missed opportunity for India, reported Maktoob Media.
According to Delhi Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto and Thamarassery Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil, the Indian government repeatedly failed to grant permission for the Pope's long-awaited visit, despite consistent interest from the Vatican.
“He too was waiting,” said Archbishop Couto. “Five years ago, he had said, ‘I am knocking on the doors of your government, but they are not opening the doors to me.’ Now maybe God has opened the doors for him in heaven.” His words echoed deep regret that India never hosted the late pontiff, who had made clear his intention to visit the country.
Bishop Inchananiyil reinforced the sentiment, stating, “The Pope had a special desire to visit India. Unfortunately, our doors did not open. That caused him great sorrow.”
The Pope’s unfulfilled visit has drawn renewed scrutiny toward the Indian government’s apparent reluctance, despite earlier gestures suggesting otherwise. At the G7 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had publicly extended an invitation to Pope Francis, and Union Minister George Kurien had emphasized that both the Indian state and the Christian community were awaiting his visit. However, the formal diplomatic process that would enable such a trip never reached fruition.
India has not hosted a papal visit in over 25 years. The last visit was by Pope John Paul II in 1999, who also made a significant trip in 1986. Prior to that, Pope Paul VI had visited Mumbai in 1964 for the International Eucharistic Congress, marking the first-ever papal visit to the country.
Despite India being home to one of the largest Catholic populations in Asia greater than in many Christian-majority nations such as East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore the late pontiff was never able to set foot on Indian soil. In 2017, his planned visit fell through when India did not extend an official invitation, leading him instead to visit neighboring Myanmar and Bangladesh.
