8 charged under POCSO Act for parading minor girls naked

Damoh (MP), Sep 10 (PTI): A criminal case has been filed against eight persons, including six women, in connection with an incident in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district where minor girls were paraded naked as part of a ritual to appease the rain god and bring showers in the area, police said on Friday. The eight accused allegedly paraded six minor girls naked and also filmed the act on Sunday in Baniya village under the Jabera police station area, about 50km from the Damoh district headquarters, on Sunday, they said.
They were charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and also relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Juvenile Justice Act on late Thursday night, Damoh Superintendent of Police (SP) DR Teniwar told PTI.
Damoh Additional Superintendent of Police Shiv Kumar Singh said efforts were on to arrest the accused.
Baniya village and surrounding areas are facing a drought-like situation and locals believe the ritual will please the rain god and bring showers, the police said.
After the incident came to light, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) sent a notice and sought a report from the Damoh district administration within ten days, officials said.
The Damoh administration is yet to reply to the notice, they added.