Ranchi: Four years ago, Om Praksh Singh, chairperson of Child Welfare Committee Ranchi, made a surprise visit to Sishu Bhawan run by Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi. Not only was he obstructed by the sisters at Sishu Bhawan but within months he was removed as the chairperson of the CWC.

“Almost four and half years later I feel that my suspicion has turned out be true and my stand vindicated,” Dr Singh, a medical practitioner told Indian Today Television on Wednesday.

Seated in his clinic in Hamru colony, Dr Singh narrated the entire series of incidents that led to his removal. “On the basis of information from sources that children were being sold illegally from Sishu Bhawan , I along with another CWC member went to inspect facility in January 2014. The sisters did not cooperate with us and we could not access any information,” Dr Singh said, adding that he had written letters to all competent authorities raising apprehension of a child selling racket operation of Sishu Bhawan.

Documents accessed by India Today shows that Dr Singh had written to the Director Social Welfare department of the Government of Jharkhand, and Jhakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

In its response the Missionary of Charity lodged a complaint against Dr Singh secretary of Social Welfare Department alleging that he along with journalists and photographer had barged into the home and created a ruckus,” Nirmal Sishu Bhawan Hinoo which has been set up by Mother Teresa herself is run by sisters with a sense of sevice. There is no monetary transaction as far as adoption is concerned,” the organisation wrote in its complaint, urging the State government to take action against Dr Singh for tarnishing the image of the organisation.

Narrating the developments of 2014 Dr Singh said he had put the adoption process on hold pending proper inquiry at the shelter home run by the sisters. However, instead of taking action against Missionaries of Charity, Dr Singh was made the scapegoat and the organisation was given a clean chit by the government then.

“The State government hurriedly conducted an inquiry and promptly gave them a clean which I was suspended from the post,” he said.

A selection committee headed Justice ( retd) Ramesh Kumar Merathia removed Dr Singh from his post as CWC chairman raising questions about his action against the MoC and asked under which provisions of law were inspectiona carried out at the shelter home.

“The committee questioned my authority as CWC chairperson to inspect the premises. The Juvenile Justice Act, empowered me as chairperson CWC to take any steps to ensure well being of every children under my jurisdiction. I was just performing my duties,” Dr Singh said.

The whistle blower said that the alleged racket was run in connivance with bureaucrats and government agencies as the MoC was well connected.

Reacting to the allegations, Bishop of the Archdiocese of Ranchi, Theodore Mascerenhas has said, “There is a sinister plan to discredit the Catholic Church here. People are being hounded. It’s not a secret that we get foreign donations. If they want to freeze MOC accounts they must provide a reason. All details are with the government under the FCRA guidelines. We have full faith in the PM and hope he will intervene.”
Jharkhand additional director general of police (ADGP) RK Mallick, who is leading the probe in the case, says the shelter home’s records before 2015 have gone missing.

Responding to this charge, Sunita Kumar, spokesperson for the Missionaries of Charity said she did not believe that “reports should be missing”. “Sisters are going to probe into this, anybody else can also do it, but eventually the truth will prevail,” Kumar added.

(India Today)