How Could You? Hall of Shame-India-Pundalik Ghole

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Mumbai, India, “A sessions court on Thursday convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment the owner of an orphanage at Kavdas village in Thane district for sexually brutalizing and starving 18 children.

Principal Judge Shalini Phansalkar Joshi convicted the main accused, Pundalik Ghole (36), along with five others of the ashram whose sentences varied from ten to five years’ imprisonment.

While sentencing Ghole, the judge said there was no reason to show leniency towards him. “He has betrayed the victims, has broken their trust and faith. He was like their parent, their guardian and injustice has been done. It is not a single incident, but for months together the children were assaulted. He founded the institute. He deserves the maximum punishment,” the judge said.

She observed that the children were also mentally challenged and subjected to horrible acts of sexual abuse. The other convicted accused include Gole’s wife and teacher, Shailaja Tarmale aka Sakshi Ghole (29), Salim Sayyed, Sikandar Pinjri, Jitendra Chavan and Ramkrishna Bagul. The accused broke down after the conviction was pronounced.

The victims included 13 boys and five girls. They are currently in the care of other shelter homes.

Special public prosecutor Vaibhav Bagade said 36 prosecution witnesses and eight defence witnesses were examined in the trial that lasted 11 months. In May, the court added the charge of murder after the evidence of the four child witnesses revealed that five children had died in their care.

In his final arguments, Bagade had called the act heinous. “The accused violated mentally and physically deficient boys and girls who were all minors. The children, who were placed in their custody for care and protection, were sexually abused and tortured, which is beyond the comprehension and imagination of human beings.”

Ghole addressed the court after the quantum of sentence was pronounced and said, “The real culprits are still at large. They have been saved by my conviction. I am innocent.”

In 2010, a member of the Child Welfare Committee, Thane, had lodged a complaint after her visit to the shelter home founded by trustees of Tribal Backward Agricultural Sanstha unearthed the sexual harassment and malnutrition of children under their custody. The prosecution had alleged there were strangulation marks on children who were sexually assaulted after being forcibly intoxicated wielding of knives.

On the basis of the complaint, investigations were conducted and a chargesheet filed before Kalyan sessions court.

Meanwhile, Bombay high court also heard a writ petition in the case filed in 2010 on the basis of news reports. Following HC orders, a special investigation team was formed and eight accused from the Sanstha held. Then, a second chargesheet was filed. The case was later transferred to sessions court.”

Kavdas orphanage owner gets life term for sexually brutalizing and starving 18 children[Times Of India 12/6/13 By Rebecca Samervel]

REFORM Puzzle Piece