GORAKHPUR: The infamous Ma Vindhyavasini Shelter Home was among the NGOs that had organised a mass wedding, where 101couples were married off, in Deoria district on February 9 this year.

Although its licence had been suspended in June 2017 following a nationwide CBI probe into the running of women and child homes, the shelter home received the invitation from Deoria district administration to become a hosts of the event.

District social welfare officer Deena Nath Shukla confirmed the two prime accused, Girija Tripathi and her husband Mohan Tripathi, were among the hosts of the mass wedding.

“The main organiser of the mass wedding was Nagar Panchayat but there was a government order for involving NGOs. District magistrate nominated Ma Vindhyavasini as one of the organisers,” he said.

When asked how the shelter home with suspended licence could be nominated, he said, “The licence was suspended by women welfare department and our department had no information about it.” An employee of the social welfare department told TOI on condition of anonymity that some girls from the Ma Vindhyavasini Shelter Home shelter home were also married off at the mass wedding.

