GORAKHPUR, May 24 -- A controversy has erupted over the timing of the suspension of the superintendent and two caretakers of the Government Child Care Centre in Gorakhpur. While a section of reports claims that the suspension followed a surprise inspection by secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Deoria, Manoj Tiwari, on May 17, district officials have stated otherwise. District probation officer (DPO), Gorakhpur, Samar Bahadur Saroj, clarified on Friday that superintendent KM Mishra and two caretakers were suspended in the second week of May, well before the inspection conducted by Manoj Tiwari. According to Saroj, the suspension was based on a departmental inquiry into an incident in which a child escaped from the care centre. The DPO denied the allegations mentioned in Tiwari's inspection report and maintained that the suspensions were not influenced by the inspection. The matter gained attention after the inspection report was cited in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Deoria-based advocate. Upon reviewing the PIL, the Allahabad high court scheduled a hearing six days after the inspection and directed urgent action. During his surprise visit on May 17, secretary Manoj Tiwari exposed the deplorable conditions at the child care centre. He expressed serious concern over the overcrowded facility, where 257 children from Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, and Kushinagar are housed in a centre with a capacity of only 100. He also flagged unhygienic conditions in the bathrooms, kitchen, and general premises. In response to Tiwari's queries, caretakers confirmed the overcrowding. Tiwari interacted with 71 children from Deoria and gave the centre a three-day deadline to improve sanitation, whitewash the rooms, and ensure a clean drinking water supply.Following media reports and the high court's intervention, the state government has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe alleged violations of children's rights, including the right to education....