The police said on Monday that twenty-four girls were rescued yesterday from a shelter home in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria after allegation of their sexual exploitation was revealed. The couple, Girija Tripathi and her husband Mohan Tripathi, who operated the shelter home, and its superintendent Kanchanlata were arrested. Sexual abuse of minor girls at a state-funded shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur looks similar to this case. Superintendent of Police Rohan P Kanay said that they have sealed the shelter home located at station road in the name of Ma Vindhyawasini Mahila Prakishan evam Samaj Sewa Sansthan. It consisted of 42 inmates and eighteen inmates were still missing. When one of the inmates, a 10-year-old girl belonging to Bihar's Bettiah city, managed to flee and informed the police station them about the plight of the inmates, the activities at the shelter home came to light. The girl alleged that many a times white, black and red cars used to come and take away the girls and when they returned the next morning, they used to be in tears. She also told the police that she escaped because of heavy workload. SP Kanay said that there were complaints against this shelter home since a long time. He was directed by the UP Police Headquarters in Lucknow to take stern action against the culprits. The Women and Child Development Department is also coordinating for the matter. ADG Law and Order Anand Kumar said in Lucknow that the inquiry will be done under proper legal procedure. The medical test of the children would be carried out by a woman doctor and their statement would be recorded before a magistrate, he added. Under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, case has been registered relating to human trafficking, flesh trade and child labour, he said.