Dhenkanal: The district police Tuesday took Fayaz Raheman, founder and managing director of NGP ‘Good News India’, on a two-day remand.
The police are likely to interrogate him about the illegal functioning of shelter homes run by the NGO for the last two years and alleged sexual harassment of minor inmates.
According to reports, the Dhenkanal police had appealed to take Raheman on three-day remand. However, the special POCSO court here ordered the police to take him on two-day remand.
Raheman, head of ‘Good News India’ that ran the shelter home at Beltikiri along with two others; Simanchal Naik, the project director, and assistant director Udit Lima– were arrested December 2 after some girl inmates levelled charges of sexual harassment against them.
District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Anuradha Goswami had lodged a complaint against the shelter home at Sadar police station. Sources said the shelter home was operating for the last two years without registration under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The shelter home has been sealed by the district administration.
While the Dhenkanal shelter home has been sealed and the children have been moved to the nearest secure Child Care Institution, Child Welfare Committee and District Child Protection Units have started conducting raids in all Good News India branches in Puri, Rayagada, Balasore, Ganjam and Bhadrak districts.
PNN