RAJKOT: Amid nationwide outrage over rapes of girls in Muzaffarpur children shelter home, warden of a government-run children’s home in Jamnagar was arrested on Thursday for allegedly thrashing young inmates with stumps and sticks. The ordeal of around two dozen boys came to light in the special preventive vigilance drive conducted by Jamnagar collector in wake of the incidents Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Deora in Uttar Pradesh . Police arrested Sumit Davudara, warden of children’s home located on Ranjitsagar Road after the sub-divisional magistrate H M Solanki lodged an FIR against him.“Twenty-four children out of 25 living at the shelter home complained that they were being beaten regularly with stumps and sticks by the warden. We also found stumps and sticks in his computer room,” Solanki told TOI. Solanki said that the children also alleged that they were threatened with electric shock. “However, this could not been proved during the visit. Davudara has been working at the children home on contractual basis for the last two years,” said Solanki.Davudara was booked under Section 23 (injury to juvenile) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC. The team consisted of one psychologist from GG hospital, deputy DDO, a mamlatdar and other officers of the social justice department including some women police officers. Jamnagar collector Ravi Shankar said, “The team was asked to first get familiar with children by celebrating Friendship Day and then make them talk about other things. After gaining their confidence, the team was able to extract the truth from the children.”

Stay updated with all the Latest Rajkot headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.