Bhasin's Preet Mandir entry: Inquiry ordered

By: Kaumudi Gurja

Women and Child Development Department takes note of court order violation by orphanage's former managing trustee, asks District Women and Child Officer to submit report on incident

After a MiD DAY sting operation exposed the violation of a court order by Preet Mandir's former managing trustee J S Bhasin, the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department yesterday took serious note of the matter and ordered an inquiry. Bhasin was found inside the adoption home's office in spite of a special CBI court having granted him bail on the condition that he keep off the premises. MiD DAY carried the report yesterday (What are you doing in Preet Mandir, Mr Bhasin) with photographic evidence of Bhasin's presence in the adoption home's office.

Ordering an inquiry into this matter, the WCD directed the District Women and Child Officer to submit a report on it. MiD DAY spoke to H B Rathod, Deputy Commissioner of WCD, who said, "We have taken serious note of the fact that former managing trustee was present in the adoption home's office on Wednesday despite the fact that the special CBI court has restrained him from interfering and entering the Preet Mandir premises."

Rathod said the inquiry into this violation would be conducted by the District Women and Child Officer. "We have asked for a report to be submitted on this," Rathod said. CBI Public Prosecutor Advocate Vivek Saxena said, "The matter will be brought to the notice of our senior officers and to the investigation officer who is handling this case and the course of action will be decided by them." Anjali Pawar, director, Sakhee, who had filed the criminal writ petition in the Bombay High Court in 2007 demanding an investigation into illegal adoption practices at Preet Mandir, said, "This is very shocking.

It is a violation of the court order and we will approach the special CBI court on this matter. We are concerned about the future of the children at Preet Mandir and fear that Bhasin might have tried to manipulate the documents related to children at the orphanage.