Court seeks report on HIV+ boy’s sexual abuse allegations

Update: 2013-02-23 00:57 GMT
The Delhi High Court Friday directed the city government to file a status report on a seven-year-old HIV positive boy’s allegations that he was sexually abused by older inmates at a government home.

A division bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Indermeet Kaur asked the government counsel to find the reason why the victim is making allegations against children and who is responsible for the abuse.

The court had earlier itself taken cognizance of media reports that stated three boys at the government-run Ashiana Home for Boys in Alipur abused the seven-year-old sexually and harassed him daily.

The boy’s mother had died of AIDS and his stepfather - also HIV positive – is lodged in Tihar Jail for raping his daughter.

The bench, ordering a further status report in the case by March 3, said, ‘We put to the standing counsel of the government that an endeavour must be made to find out as to the reason why the victim is making allegations against children and as to who is responsible for the abuse of the victim,’ ‘Counsel states that counseling is taking place and endevour would be made towards the same as the act appears to have gone on for quite some time as per the medical report,’ the court added.

The government Friday filed the status report on the court’s earlier direction to medically examine the three boys, who allegedly sexually abused the child, whether they are HIV positive or not.

The government filing the status report told the court that all the three boys have been examined medically and none of them was found to be HIV positive.

As the court had also directed to shift the boys from the Alipur home, the government informed the court that they have been shifted to Shubhikshika Open Shelter Home for Boys.


PENSION ORDERED FOR FREEDOM FIGHTER

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the government to grant a freedom fighter’s pension to a man who participated in the struggle against the Nizam’s government during the British rule. Justice Valmiki J Mehta allowed the petition of Pratapani Muthaiah seeking pension under the Swatantrata Sainik Sanman Pension Scheme, as his case was approved by the Hyderabad Special Screening Committee since he complied with all the terms and conditions of the scheme. The court also ordered that Muthaiah will be entitled to all the arrears from the date of his making the application of pension. He will also be entitled of interest from the date of filing of the case till the time the arrears of pension are paid. ‘It is an undisputed position that the petitioner’s case was recommended by the Hyderabad Special Screening Committee for grant of pension. Considering that the respondent (centre) is not disputing that the petitioner did apply under the scheme, he was qualified under this scheme,’ the court said.

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