After 24 girls were rescued from the Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila and Balika Sanrakshan Griha, a sex racket was busted and the couple who ran the shelter home became the talk of the town.
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The neighbors said that they smelled anything fishy as the police officials left the girl to the shelter homes at the night, using a small yellow door to enter.
“Police frequented this place which made it hard to believe that all these things are happening inside,” said government school teacher, Mridul Pandey, who owns a house nearby.
“Entry at the shelter was closely guarded and I have never seen any of the girls outside unattended,” said Kamal Kant Singh, another local resident.
The couple who ran the shelter home, Girija and Mohan Tripathi, were also secretive, told the neighbors. But as soon as they registered the NGO they became rich, also added the neighbors.
Girija used to run a stitching and embroidery centre but now owns property and flats in the area. “Her days changed overnight when she opened this shelter house by registering an NGO. She amassed huge wealth in the last eight years and developed links with political people and VIPs,” said Raghuvendra Gupta, who runs grocery shops close to the facility.
“Every other day, a swanky car could be seen stationed outside but we thought she had a good image and so people would visit her, “ said local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Ashish Gupta.
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“Cars and vehicles of all kinds pass through this area frequently. I have also seen cars standing near the small gate of the building,” said Kamal Kant. Girija and Mohan were arrested among five people after a 10-year-old ran from the shelter home and told everything to the police.