From running stitching centre to manager of Deoria shelter home

Call it ambition or urge to become prosperous that made a woman at a ‘silai kendra’ to rise and become an influential manager of Ma Vindhyavasini shelter home, which is now accused of running a sex racket.

Now in her late 50s, Girija Tripathi, the manager of the shelter home, was born in Rupai village of Deoria district and got married to Mohan Tripathi of nearby Noonkhwar village.

Mohan was a small time employee at Bhatni sugar mill while Girija ran a dress stitching centre to cope with the poor financial condition of her family.

“When Mohan was on the verge of losing his job due to poor financial condition of sugar mill, Girija successfully protested against the mill management, said Rajesh Kumar, 65, a resident of Bhatni.

With the advent of adult education scheme she came in touch with administrative officials and her centre at Bhatni also started providing training to adults,

Later, she shifted to Deoria city and started her shelter home under Ma Vindhyavasini Seva Sansthan NGO at railway station road in Deoria.

In over two decades, Girija’s financial position improved considerably as she was running an old age home in Gorakhpur, an old age home in Rajla Deoria and also a shelter home at station road.

Her elder daughter, Kanaklata, now under custody of police, was working in district probation office Gorakhpur on contractual basis while her son is a highly qualified teacher, said Superintendent of Police, Deoria, Rohan Kanay.

Daughter Kanchanlata was superintendent of the shelter home here.

Girija after opening a shelter home in Deoria apparently developed high profile contacts as she could be seen with leaders and officials in several photographs.

Despite the fact that the licence of her NGO was suspended in 2017, she was seen in various programmes and was also reportedly one of the organisers of mass wedding held on February 9.

Police had rescued 24 women from the Deoria shelter home on Sunday night and said 18 were missing.

Their revised figures say the shelter had 48 inmates. Barring three, all of them have been traced, Additional SP Ganesh Saha said today.

“Soon they will also be traced,” he told reporters.

A member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Thursday visited the sealed shelter, and another home where some of the inmates are now being housed temporarily.

The member, R G Anand, said the children there appeared safe and were not having any problems. The commission will soon submit a report.”