Pastor Used to Thrash Girls When They Asked for Food

Times of India
November 21, 2014

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Jaipur/Pastor-used-to-thrash-girls-when-they-asked-for-food/articleshow/45223764.cms

JAIPUR: The head of the orphanage situated at Tara Nagar locality in Jhotwara here was not only involved in sexual abuse and rape of three minor girls, but also used to thrash the girls whenever they asked for food. Such was the scenario that girls used to be dependent on the mid-day meal of the government school where they were studying. This was stated in the chargesheet filed against pastor Johnson Chacko in a district court on Thursday.

The police said that they have not only recorded the statements of the two girls aged under 10 and 14-year-old, they have also spoken to nearly 19 other girls staying at the orphanage.

"The girls told us that many a times they were not given dinner and even lunch was not available. When some little girls aged between 6 to 8 years used to ask for the lunch and dinner, the pastor used to thrashed them with iron rod," said Kailash Bishnoi, deputy commissioner of police (west).

Even police were shocked when they came to know that many a times the girls were not given meals for the whole day.

"The girls have also stated that many a times they used to get satisfied by the mid-day meal of the government school when there were no meals," Bishnoi added.

The police alleged that Chacko used to get Rs 32,000 per month from a Delhi-based Church. "It was found that he used to spend the whole money on himself and his wife for expenses varying from vehicle fuel, food, outing and others. And this was the origin for the crisis in the orphanage. While the girls used to complain about it, the pastor used to thrash them badly. The girls had even complained about it to the wife of the accused, but was of no use," Bishnoi added.

While all these things came out during the recording of statements of the girls and interrogation of the accused, the police in the charge-sheet filed on Thursday have also added Section 323 (assault) of IPC against the accused.