Child Welfare Committee chairperson takes away Preet Mandir papers

The members who filed the complaint said Sapkal had the powers to scrutinise documents at the observation home,but was not supposed to take away any without other CWC members’ consent.

Sapkal,when contacted,said the documents had “minutes of meetings” of the observation home and the stay order on Preet Mandir. “I took them as I wanted to study the stay in the Preet Mandir case. The documents are safe with me. I have the judicial powers to carry these documents. I had also informed the CWC members about it,” she said.

The complainants contend the Preet Mandir case — concerning allegations of malparactice — being sub-judice,the documents should not have been taken from the office.

On Friday,Preet Mandir officials had said the Bombay HC had restrained the state government from transferring children from Preet Mandir to other institutions. They had handed over copies of the HC directive to the Women and Child Welfare department officials after which the process was halted. “No child has been transferred to any other institution. The HC has restrained the government from taking any such step,” a Preet Mandir spokesperson had said.

Bajirao Jadhav,Commissioner,Women and Child Welfare department,said the processes for shifting had just been completed when they received the court order from Preet Mandir officials. “The court has allowed a week for Preet Mandir to present its case. Till the court gives its decision we will not transfer any child from Preet Mandir,” Jadhav had said on Friday. Hearing is scheduled on June 23.

Preet Mandir officials criticised government officials for initiating the shifting despite the court order. “There was no need for government officials to suspend our licence when the HC hearing was scheduled next week. They took the decision even as the matter was sub-judice,” a Preet Mandir spokesperson said.