Latest news with #DCPO
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- The Hindu
Teacher, clerk arrested for sexual harassment of school students in Tiruvannamalai
A 59-year-old Tamil teacher and a clerk of the Government Adi Dravidar Welfare High School in Tiruvannamalai were arrested by police personnel of the All Women Police Station (AWPS) on charges of alleged sexual harassment of seven students over the past two years. The arrested persons were identified as V. Sathyaseelan, a native of Chengam, and K. Balamurugan, a native of Cuddalore district. Initial inquiry revealed that the school came under the scanner of the District Child Protection Office (DCPO) in Tiruvannamalai after it got a complaint regarding sexual harassment. DCPO officials said that a team of DCPO officials, led by K. Selvi, visited the school campus on July 24 to create awareness among students and teachers on the usage of the child helpline, child rights and protections, and the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. DCPO officials said that during the programme, which was held in two separate sessions for boys and girls, the affected students complained about sexual harassment by the teacher and clerk. They also gave written complaints on sexual harassment to the DCPO team. The DCPO officials said that such awareness sessions are held regularly in educational institutions like schools, colleges, and diploma institutes as part of childcare. On an average, 12-13 child abuse cases are registered with DCPO in the district every month. The DCPO team apprised Tiruvannamalai Collector K. Tharpagaraj of the sexual harassment complaints given by students to the visiting team. Based on a complaint by DCPO, All Women Police Station (AWPS) in Polur arrested the duo, who were later lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. A probe is under way.
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Anti-begging drive: DNA tests of children begin in Ludhiana
Six of the 18 children rescued from begging earlier this week underwent DNA testing along with four accompanying adults at the Civil Hospital here on Wednesday. This crucial step aims to ascertain the true parentage of children whose guardians could not provide credible claims, according to DCPO Saini. The initiation of DNA testing follows the establishment of a committee by deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain on Tuesday. (HT Photo) For the remaining 12 children, guardians have asserted parentage and are in the process of submitting documents such as Aadhaar Cards, birth certificates, and school certificates for verification. So far, documents for two children have been received, and one child has already been reunited with their parents after successful verification. 'Guardians are approaching us with documents. We will verify those to ascertain parentage. So far we have received documents for two kids and one of them has already been handed back to the parents,' Saini stated. The initiation of DNA testing follows the establishment of a committee by deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain on Tuesday. This committee, comprising the district child protection officer and representatives from the police commissioner and civil surgeon, was formed to ensure the seamless execution of DNA testing under Project Jeevanjot 2.0, an initiative designed to combat child trafficking and exploitation. This move came after an earlier attempt at DNA testing on Monday faced obstacles due to a lack of clear guidelines. The district administration rescued the 18 children during city-wide raids aimed at cracking down on child trafficking. Currently, all rescued children are being housed at the Children Home in Doraha. Project JeevanJyot 2.0 outlines a clear path forward: 'If DNA tests match, the child shall be restored to the family. The authorities shall issue a warning to the family to not indulge the child into begging. The DCPO shall provide counselling to the family to enroll the children in schools and about the ill effects of keeping the child on streets.' Should parents persist in involving the child in begging, the draft states they will be declared 'unfit guardians,' and 'The child shall be sent to Children Home and the child shall be declared legally free for adoption.' Conversely, if DNA test results are negative, the Child Welfare Committee will initiate legal action by filing an FIR under relevant legislation such as the BNS, Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, or Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, against the adults found accompanying them. Additionally, the child's photos and details will be uploaded on the 'Track the Child' portal to aid in tracing their biological parents for rehabilitation.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Begging for answers: DNA seeks missing link in Ludhiana.
Ludhiana: In a major step to combat child trafficking and forced begging, the health department collected DNA samples from six rescued children at the civil hospital on Wednesday in the presence of the district child protection officer (DCPO) and police personnel as part of Project Jeevanjot 2.0. The move comes two days after the district administration faced a setback when hospital staff refused to take DNA samples, citing a lack of official guidelines. In response, deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney constituted a high-level committee comprising the DCPO, civil surgeon, and representatives from the police commissioner to oversee the testing process. DCPO Rashmi Saini said the six children were accompanied by adults who claimed to be their parents but had failed to produce any valid documents such as Aadhaar cards or birth certificates. Consent for the DNA testing was reportedly taken from the adults present. However, the process raised ethical questions within the health department, with one official noting the unusual nature of taking consent from individuals who may be implicated in trafficking if the DNA results prove otherwise. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairman, Gurjit Singh Romana, confirmed that the testing had been carried out under the committee's direction. He said legal action would be initiated if biological links between the children and the adults could not be confirmed. Of the 18 children rescued from the streets of Ludhiana, only one child's biological relationship was verified through documentation, while 11 remain unclaimed, and efforts to establish their identities continue. Any adult found to be claiming parental ties falsely may face legal charges under a range of laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour Act, and Bonded Labour Abolition Act. The photos and profiles of unidentified children will also be uploaded to the Track the Child Portal to help locate their real families. Each child will have an individual case file compiled by the DCPO, detailing everything from DNA test records and social investigation reports to any benefits provided and information about the accompanying adult. The administration said the children have been relocated to safe temporary shelters while verification is underway. MSID:: 122863372 413 |
GMA Network
22-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Duterte backs new DCPO chief despite getting left out of selection process
Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte will support the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) even if he was not consulted in the selection of the new city police director. Duterte reiterated that he was not given the opportunity to choose from a shortlist of candidates for the city police director position, a process supposedly granted to local chief executives under the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998 (RA 8551). Under Section 64 of the said law, mayors are deputized as representatives of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) within their jurisdictions. 'They won't allow me to choose the city director… nangyari na nga yan last year when I was mayor… the last term when I was mayor,' Duterte said. 'Masyado silang praning… they are scared maybe because these policemen who will be assigned here mga loyalista sa amin and they would not like you know, do dirty work for them,' he added. Despite this, Duterte said he will support the new acting director of DCPO, Col. Mannan Muarip, and his plans for the peace and order in the city, which were discussed during a courtesy call on Monday, July 21, 2025. DCPO has yet to issue a statement regarding Duterte's statements, as of this writing. However, Muarip said earlier that strong cooperation and unity between the local government and the police play an important role in maintaining peace and security in the city.
GMA Network
16-07-2025
- GMA Network
Davao City gets new acting police chief
Davao City has a new acting police director. Colonel Mannan Muarip officially took over the post, replacing Col. Mariano Rodriguez, who served as officer-in-charge. Rodriguez is the current deputy regional director for administration of the Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-11). Prior to his new assignment, Muarip served as director of Salaam Police Center under the Directorate for Police Community Relations in Camp Crame. The unit focuses on police matters related to Muslim communities. Muarip also served previously as chief of the Regional Headquarters Support Unit-Zamboanga Peninsula (RHSU-9). According to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), the order for Muarip's appointment as acting city director was issued by the national headquarters on July 11, 2025. The turnover ceremony was held at DCPO on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. However, members of the media were not permitted to cover the event.
