DEORIA: Young girls staying at Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila and Balika Sanrakshan Griha in

’s

district, where a sex scandal broke out in August this year, used to be drugged before being sent to entertain ‘powerful guests’ so they didn’t feel the pain, according to witness statements recorded by the police.

These statements were recorded by UP Police women’s cell on August 6 and by Deoria police on August 7 under 161 and 164 CrPC. Later, they were made part of the chargesheet submitted by the UP Police SIT before the

.

The scandal, which involved allegations ranging from missing girls to sexual exploitation, came to light after an 11-year-old inmate managed to slip out of the

.

Her escape led to a press conference by then Deoria SP Rohan Kanay on August 5, 2018, blowing the lid off the sordid saga.

I was sent to

5-6 times a month’

A 12-year-old girl, in her statement before officials of UP Police women helpline 181 on August 6, alleged that the owner of the home, , drugged the girls before sending them for sex in return for money. This disclosure, however, doesn’t figure in the statement recorded by Deoria police under 161 CrPC, nor in the one recorded under 164 CrPC before a magistrate.

“Hum logo ko ladko ke paas bhejne se pehle woh humko koi dawa khilati thi. Unka kehna tha iss dawa se tum logo ko dard nahi hoga

,” the girl had said in her startling disclosure.

“Badi madam dhamkati thi, kehti thi, maar dalenge. Tumko police ke saamne kuch nahi batana aur yadi police wale aayenge toh kuch utha kar maar dena aur bade log aayenge toh unke saath mauj masti karna

(Madam used to threaten us with action. She would tell us not to share anything with police and fight the cops if they came looking. She would ask us to have fun with people in powerful positions),” a statement by a 13-year-old inmate said.

Another 12-year-old girl has stated to the police that though she had been staying at the shelter home for only five months, Girija would send her to Gorakhpur at least five-six times a month.

“A car would come around 4pm and the next morning, people would drop us back. Each time there was a different person. Sometimes, men would come on bikes,” she said. She also stated that men would pick up girls from the shelter home after paying cash to Girija.

The girls have also said that atrocities at the shelter home ranged from poor quality food to

if household chores like cleaning and washing were not completed.

The Allahabad high court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the scandal, had sought safe custody of four victims at different institutions across UP.