The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to restrain the Delhi Government from setting up any other committee to inquire into the alleged sexual assault and harassment of children in the Arya Orphanage in the Capital.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw declined to pass any order on the plea of the orphanage in Daryaganj that the Government should be restrained from setting up any other panel as the children are traumatised after several people visited the home and questioned them.

President of the orphanage, VP Chaudhary, who is also a senior advocate, said more than 1,600 children have been staying in the 95-year-old home and due to some stray incidents, the whole organisation cannot be blacklisted. The court said no other committee has been set up by the Government so far. It, however, asked Chaudhary to approach the court if any other panel is set up to which he has objections. “We have to look for a solution to address the issue. It should not be a knee jerk reaction,” the bench said.

Our order should not have adverse impact on the psychology of the children who will appear for their examinations after few days,” the bench said and posted the matter for in-chamber hearing on Thursday.

Meanwhile, filing a report, the official administrator said the residential accommodation for the children is not adequate and recommended to stop further admissions. “It has been felt that the orphanage does not have proficiently qualified officer-in-charge and counsellors,” the report said.

Earlier, the court had taken a suo motu cognizance of an email received by Justice

Sikri from one Bharti Ali alleging that the children in the orphanage were subjected to sexual abuse and other sufferings. The court had sought a report from the administrator, appointed by the Delhi Government to look into the matter. Chaudhary, appearing for the orphanage submitted that all allegations against the children’s home were baseless and it had no objection even if the court appointed a judicial officer to conduct an enquiry into it. To this submission, the bench said the court is looking into the larger prospect of the issue, including the issue of running NGOs without registering under the relevant laws.