Rayagada admin files plaint against ex-CWC chairperson for 'violating juvenile justice Act'

Koraput: The Rayagada district administration has filed a formal complaint against the former chairperson of Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Bidulata Huika, for alleged serious violations of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, including unlawful disclosure of the identities of minor girls.

The complaint, lodged by district child protection officer Mahadev Chichuan at the Rayagada police station on Wednesday, accuses Huika of dereliction of duty and breaching the confidentiality of 62 minor girls from the district. These minors, reportedly victims of child marriage who later became mothers, were named in a petition circulated by Huika on WhatsApp. "The petition, which was addressed to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, included full names and other personally identifiable information of the minors, thereby violating Section 74 (1) of the juvenile justice Act," Chichuan said.

According to the complaint, Huika served as the chairperson of the Rayagada CWC from Dec 16, 2022, to May 1, 2025. During this period, she allegedly failed to discharge several statutory responsibilities under the Act, including safeguarding the identities and welfare of children under the committees protection.

Efforts to contact Huika for comment were unsuccessful.

The inspector in-charge of Rayagada police station, K B Kanhar, confirmed that the complaint has been registered in the station diary and that an investigation is underway.