52-year-old clergyman arrested on charges of sexually abusing two minor girls

The alleged victims told the police that they had complained to Chacko’s wife that “he touched them inappropriately” but she had instead asked them to “keep quiet because he is like God.” Statements of the alleged victims were recorded and they were sent for medical examination on Thursday.

All the 19 inmates, girls aged between 7 and 12, have been shifted to a government shelter home. The inmates have collectively complained that they were ill-treated at the home and beaten up with metal rods and poorly fed. They said that Chacko misbehaved with all of them and sexually abused them, officials said.

Director General of Police Omendra Bhardwaj said, “We will conduct a survey and prepare a list of all shelter homes in the state that are running without a license. A copy will be sent to the respective district collectors and it will be ensured that all such illegal homes will be shut down.”

Social Justice minister Arun Chaturvedi said, “We will ensure a chargesheet is filed within a month. It was shocking to learn of the atrocities meted out to the children at the home. We are taking strict action against those involved in the case.”

State Women Commission chairperson Lad Kumari Jain told the Indian Express, “We will hold a separate inquiry into the incident and speak to the inmates at length of Friday. The government will have to intervene and ensure that action is taken at the state level so that no such incident recurs in other shelter homes across the state. This is the fourth such incident reported in the state recently and has become a shocking trend.”