‘Rampant abuse at Vasai shelter’

Some of the inmates at the Vasai shelter. An inmate has alleged many died after the NGO took over. Pics/Hanif Patel

The inmates of a shelter home under the government of India's ambitious project Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) - in Vasai are allegedly being tortured, assaulted and not taken care of by the workers of an NGO that runs it. The inmates have also alleged that they are not provided good food. Neither is anything done under the Mission for their upliftment, as this reporter found at the facility.

The Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) ran two shelter homes - one each at Nalasopara and Vasai. The facility at Nalasopara was shut last December as its land was reportedly acquired to complete the bullet train project, and all its inmates were accommodated in the Vasai facility since January. More than 70 male and female inmates now are allegedly being mistreated here.

An inmate shows his bruises alleging he was beaten up. Pics/Hanif Patel

The DAY-NULM's mission is to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households by enabling the needy with self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, through strong grassroots level institutions for the poor. However, nothing to this effect - no training facility, etc. - was seen when this reporter visited the facility.

It is learnt that after an activist complained to Valiv police regarding the atrocities on inmates at the Vasai facility, a police team visited the shelter.

How NGO was roped-in

An NGO was roped-in by the VVCMC in September 2022 to look after the facility after corruption and penal offences surfaced in another shelter home at Nalasopara.

Some of the women inmates of the Vasai shelter

Activists alleged that the inmates underwent horrific torture by the civic staff members who snatched the jewellery, cash and property papers from elderly residents.

"But despite the matter being brought to the notice of Municipal Commissioner Anilkumar Pawar on May 3, 2022, no FIR was registered against civic staff member Rahul More, who had snatched the jewellery and cash of an elderly inmate, Snehlata Narkar. Instead, More was suspended. The civic body did not file an FIR against More," alleged Rupali Nandvikar, an activist and secretary of Mahila Sanghatak, NCP.

Inmate conned

mid-day spoke to Narkar, who said, "Rahul More was in-charge of the Nalasopara shelter home. I used to work as a nanny in Borivli. My husband and daughter died a few years ago. After I lost my job due to old age, I thought about staying in the shelter home at Nalasopara so that I could get food and good care."

Sukhdeo Darveshi, Controller, DAY-NULM

"At the facility last year, More took the jewellery I was wearing. I had gold ear studs and a gold chain. I don't know the exact price but the jewellery weighed 1.75 tola gold. He (More) promised me that it would be kept safe in his possession. I also carried R 15,000 cash but this money was also taken by More," the 71-year-old Narkar alleged.

"After I realised that More had smartly taken away my jewellery and cash, I contacted him seeking its return. When he did not return them to me, I contacted Rupali Nandvikar and told her everything (in April 2022)," recalled Narkar, who is now staying at a private old-age home on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.

"I am a feeble woman. This was the reason I went to the government-run shelter home. Since I can't pay this old-age home monthly, I have to work here … it's painful but I have no other option," sobbed Narkar.

Nandvikar said, "Despite my intervention, the civic body did not move an inch. But when I threatened to launch a massive protest outside VVCMC headquarters, Pawar called More and asked him to return the jewellery and cash. More told Pawar that he had sold Narkar's jewellery. Then, More was asked to compensate Narkar with cash. Instead of registering an FIR against More, the VVCMC commissioner only suspended him."

She further alleged that there were other financial irregularities at the shelter homes. "When I insisted that there is no transparency in the work at the shelter home, Pawar, in September, roped-in an NGO called Sadik Masih Medical Social Servant Society to run both the shelter homes," she added.

"The Nalasopara shelter home was shut in December, hence all the inmates were brought to Vasai facility where they are being treated badly and forged inflated bills are being produced before VVCMC to extract huge sums of money," she added.

Around 75 inmates (both male and female) are housed in the Vasai shelter home. A few inmates have symptoms of partial mental retardation, Nandvikar said.
"Women inmates' hair has been extremely trimmed. Their washroom stinks. A few days ago, a female inmate had escaped the shelter home. She is mentally unstable. I have been told that she was sexually abused but she is too unstable to recall anything," Nandvikar said.

Inmates died?

An inmate, Rajesh Parmar, alleged that over a dozen inmates died after the NGO took over to run the facility. "They don't provide good food while inmates suffering from blood pressure and diabetes need extra care. The manager and caretaker of the NGO consume alcohol where the CCTV cameras do not cover the area."

A highly placed source at VVCMC told mid-day that the inmates have been sending letters complaining against the NGO staff to the commissioner.

Nandvikar said, "I have been told that the NGO workers assault those who raise their voice against the highhandedness of NGO staff. So many issues have been raised before the commissioner through my letter, but till date no action has been taken against the NGO. I have learnt that Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sukhdeo Darveshi, who was suspended thrice for his alleged involvement in corruption, is shielding the NGO."

Last week, Nandvikar informed Valiv police regarding the atrocities on the inmates at the facility, following which a police team visited the shelter.

"After we received a complaint, a team was sent to the facility to check the veracity of allegations. A few inmates are mentally unstable and others are senior citizens. We are conducting a thorough investigation and will speak to the senior civic officials on this issue," said Kailash Barve, senior inspector of Valiv police station.

VVCMC speak

"The NGO is doing great work for the inmates and we have not received any complaint. Also, there is no issue of forged bills…but there were a few clerical errors in the bills and we asked the NGO to send revised ones," said Darveshi, who is the Controller of DAY-NULM.

When asked why no FIR was registered against More, Darveshi said, "We suspended him immediately. We have not registered an FIR as the matter is still being investigated internally (since April last year). The matter is being blown out of proportion by an inmate, Rajesh Parmar, who had assaulted his co-inmate. An FIR was registered against him."

Parmar countered saying, "I was falsely implicated by the NGO and Darveshi, who want to evict me from the facility."

After mid-day contacted civic officials about the sensitive matter, Darveshi visited the shelter home last Saturday and pressured Parmar to leave the facility along with his family members. Parmar stays there with his wife and daughter.

"Darveshi visited the shelter home and has been mounting pressure on me to leave the premises. He told me that he has reposed faith in me but got upset when he knew I was approaching the media to expose the truth," Parmar said.

VVCMC commissioner Pawar remained unavailable for comment.

NGO speak

Chandan Kumar Singh, driver-turned-manager at the shelter said, "We don't assault anyone here." His colleague Rahul Wade said, "The VVCMC is yet to clear our bills from September."

Repeated calls and messages to NGO President Tarun Mishra were unanswered.

75
Approximate No. of inmates at the Vasai shelter

May 3
Day abuse was reported in 2022