Patna: With news of two girls in another NGO shelter home for the mentally challenged having died under mysterious circumstances and in a flurry of hysteria generated by the media, the Bihar Police on Tuesday raided the flat and office of arrested ‘Aasra Home’ treasurer Manisha Dayal and Chirantan Kumar and found information about other NGOs she ran.
The raids were conducted at Manisha’s flat number 101 at SMS Villa in East Anand Puri area and at her NGO Anumaya Human Resources Foundation office at Krishna Apartment in the posh Boring Road area.
The raids were conducted after two inmates of Aasra – a shelter home for women with mental disabilities in Rajiv Nagar area – died under mysterious circumstances on Friday night. Babli, 41, and Poonam Bharti, 17, were on Friday night rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) as they were suffering from high fever and diarrhoea, but both the inmates were declared brought dead at the hospital.
On Monday night two other Aasra inmates – Zubeda Khatoon, 55, and Baby Kumari, 16, were admitted to PMCH after they complained of weakness and vomiting. Police said their condition is stable.
What the media has so far not ascertained is whether these women were victims of some sort of food poisoning.
A police team lead by deputy superintendent of police (law and order) Manoj Kumar Sudhanshu carried out raids at two places and seized documents relating to functioning of the NGO.
Patna superintendent of police (SP) Central, D Amarkesh said: “The police have seized various documents. They were looking for documents based on which the FIR was lodged, which is medical negligence and financial bungling.”
The police have booked Manisha and Chirantan on charges of cheating and medical negligence under sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating) and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of Indian Penal Code.
On Monday, the police took both Manisha and Chirantan on three-day police remand. Sources said the police have recovered several documents from Manisha’s flat and office.
In the evening the police also conducted raids at AVN School in Patliputra Colony, being run by Chirantan’s father. “We have recovered several documents from the Manisha’s flat and office,” said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity.
“Apart from running the Anumaya Human Resources Foundation, the NGO under which Aasra Home used to function, we have recovered documents of several other NGOs too. Papers and documents of events she used to organise such as beauty contests, corporate cricket league and others too were found.”
Observers point out that none of the ‘activities’ of the police are flaunting are actually criminal activities. the real matter is whether the home was shoddily run, and how the mentally challenged women are suddenly falling seriously ill.
The police have started the process to arrest Dr Anshuman and a nurse who were assigned the duty of looking after the inmates. D Amarkesh said: “As the doctor could not be arrested for medical negligence we have written to Indian Medical Association (IMA) Bihar chapter.”
-based on Media reports