Another Alandi spiritual school shut as child complains of physical, mental harassment

Pune: District child welfare committee officials, the Alandi Municipal Council and the local police on Monday shut down a private spiritual school after a boy lodged a complaint of physical and mental harassment through the child helpline on March 8.Officials from the municipal council and the district child welfare authorities conducted an inspection of the institute following the complaint and immediately shifted 21 children to govt-run hostels on Monday to ensure their safety. Several irregularities were found in the functioning of the institute, which had been operating for the last four years under a self-proclaimed spiritual guru.Officials said the institute offered accommodation to children and provided spiritual education, including lessons in bhajan, kirtan and musical instruments. However, the facility was allegedly functioning without mandatory govt permissions and had failed to comply with basic regulatory requirements. "The individual running the institute used to charge around Rs60,000 per child annually," they said."We found multiple violations, including the absence of proper govt permission to run the school, lack of records of each child as required under the rules and several infrastructure deficiencies," said Madhav Khandekar, chief officer of the Alandi Municipal Council.Additionally, officials also found the school building had been constructed in violation of civic norms. "Three floors had been built without permission from the municipal council. The school was running without a completion certificate. The entire operation was illegal," Khandekar added.Officials said the children would be produced before the district child welfare committee in Pune and their statements recorded as part of the legal process.A child protection officer associated with the committee, Shatrughan Khokle, said further action would depend on the statements of the children. "As per procedure, based on testimonies of the kids, we will prepare a report and submit it to the local police for further action against the owner of the institute," he said.He further said that if investigations confirmed the said child was subjected to physical harassment, the police would register appropriate charges under relevant sections of the law.Officials said the incident had raised concerns about the growing number of unregulated spiritual schools and residential institutes operating in and around Alandi — many working without proper supervision."The case has again highlighted the importance of monitoring residential educational and spiritual institutions where children are housed, with strict action against those found violating child protection laws," said local activist Rahul Chitalkar."The town has been known for spiritual teachings and has produced numerous excellent preachers over the last few decades. However, the rich tradition and legacy has suffered a major setback in the last five years with sexual abuse cases being reported in these institutes. The authorities concerned have shown neglect and never paid heed to the matter over decades. The institutes would have taken necessary safety measures had people-in-charge paid attention and conducted inspections on a regular basis," said Prashant Kurhade, president of the municipal council.