Ghaziabad/Lucknow: The owner of an orphanage from where 47 girls, allegedly physically and sexually abused, were rescued was on Friday arrested on charges of rape and criminal assault. Authorities shifted the girls to homes in Meerut and Mathura.

National Commission for Women Chairperson Girija Vyas visited Swami Balnath Ashram here in the light of the Supreme Court directive seeking an immediate response from NCW, NHRC and the District Magistrate about the allegations of sexual abuse.

She deplored the ``ill treatment'' meted out to the girls and asked the district administration to ensure they were properly looked after.

A National Human Rights Commission team was also ``shortly visiting the `ashram','' in keeping with the apex court orders, NHRC spokesperson Manjula said.

``The ashram's owner Balnath has been arrested and will be produced in an additional chief judicial magistrate's court on Saturday for illegally detaining children,'' Ghaziabad SSP Piyush Mordia said.

District Magistrate M. K. Sundaram said a case was filed against him under sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty of a woman), 376 (rape) and 504 (intentional insult) of the IPC. He said the 11 `` girls, six of whom are over 18 years of age and the rest above 15, will be medically examined on Saturday''.

Uttar Pradesh Women's Welfare Secretary Balvindir Singh told reporters in Lucknow, ``we have decided to send the girls below the age of 10 to Shishu Grah, Mathura, and those above 10 years to an ashram in Meerut''.

Late on Friday evening the authorities sealed the ashram and constituted a three-member body to probe the case and submit its report within two weeks. A large crowd earlier gathered in front of the orphanage in Seva Nagar, throwing stones at the premises and raising slogans of ``hang Swami Balnath''.

A counter-complaint was also lodged at Sihani Gate police station against the NGOs and a Delhi-based journalist. In his complaint, Balnath claimed that ``nothing wrong'' was happening inside the ashram and only the woman reporter stirred up the row after visiting it last week.

PTI

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