Bhopal, Dec 10 (IANS): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday issued a notice to the Superintendent Police (SP) of Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, seeking its report on a complaint of feeding cow meat to children at sewadham ashram.

The move came after the Commission received a complaint against St. Francis Sevadham located in the Shyampura area under Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh. The complaint alleged that minor children were being forced to eat beef and read the Bible.

Recently, two siblings residing in St. Francis Sevadham with the help of their parents lodged a complaint in the Cantt police station in the district. As per the report, children have alleged that "they were forced to eat cow meat and read the Bible. On refusing to do so, the children alleged that they would be harassed by the ashram authorities."

Acting on the complaint, the NCPCR has directed Sagar District SP to investigate the matter and submit its report within next 48 hours.

Father of the children, Deshraj Raikvar had written a letter to the Child Welfare Committee, Sagar, mentioning that a woman, who introduced herself as a social worker, took his children to the sevadham ashram.

"I went to meet my children many times, but they did not allow me to meet them. Somehow, once I got a chance to meet children. My children said they did not want to stay at the ashram because they are being forced to eat cow meat. They were beaten up for refusing to eat the meat and reading the Bible," Deshraj wrote in his letter to the Child Welfare Committee, Sagar.