New Delhi: A 15-year-old rape survivor from Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district was allegedly sent by the local Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to the home of her accused, where she endured further sexual assault.

According to the media reports, Chhatarpur Police have registered an FIR against ten individuals, including the CWC chairman, members, and senior officials, for their roles in the case.

The incident began on 16 January 2025, when the minor, from a village in Panna district, went missing after leaving for school. Her family filed a missing person report at the local police station.

As per reports, she was traced and recovered in Gurugram, Haryana, on 17 February 2025, together with the accused, a man from a different village and caste. He was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, charged with kidnapping and rape, and remanded in custody. The case was initially filed at Panna Kotwali police station, but later transferred to Jujhar Nagar police station in Chhatarpur district.

After her recovery, the survivor was presented before the Panna CWC for rehabilitation and initially placed at the One Stop Centre (OSC) in Panna. However, the committee allegedly bypassed mandatory procedures and sent her to the house of the accused’s sister-in-law, who also happened to be the girl’s cousin. Following this placement, the accused allegedly raped the minor again and has since been arrested, the reports mentioned.

Investigators found that the CWC had failed to obtain a social investigation report from the Women and Child Development Department, a critical step under the Juvenile Justice Act to assess the safety of such placements and ensure the child’s protection. The decision appeared to favour the accused, resulting in repeated assaults during her stay.

The survivor’s family, desperate for her return, lodged a complaint at the Panna Collectorate’s public hearing. The district collector intervened and ordered the CWC to review its ruling. To conceal the mistake, officials reportedly moved the girl back to the OSC on 29 April 2025. It was during counselling sessions there that the additional assaults came to light.

Despite this, OSC staff and the District Women and Child Development Officer allegedly suppressed the revelations, failing to report the crimes as required by law.

The case gained public attention through media reports, prompting action from Chhatarpur Police. Under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police SDOP Lavkushnagar Naveen Dubey, the investigation uncovered a network of complicity.

“A crime has been registered against those who made the wrong decision of sending the minor rape victim to the house of the accused and those who hid it. The police are investigating the matter closely. The investigation also revealed that the District Program Officer and the staff of the One Stop Centre tried to suppress the case,” Dubey stated, as per an NDTV report. 

An FIR has been registered under multiple legal provisions. The chairman and members of the Child Welfare Committee have been charged under Section 17 of the POCSO Act for abetment of the offence. The administrator and counsellor of the OSC face charges under Section 21 of the POCSO Act for failing to report incidents of child sexual abuse.

Additionally, the District Women and Child Development Officer faces charges under Section 21 of the POCSO Act, Section 4 of the SC/ST Act, and Sections 199 and 239 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for dereliction of duty and acting unlawfully, as per the report.