The teenager who fled from a Muzaffarpur home for destitute has accused an official of Darbhanga Childline of sexually assaulting her during her stay at the centre.

S.N. Tripathi, the deputy director of the social security cell in Muzaffarpur, on Tuesday evening lodged an FIR against the official, Mahavir Paswan, at Laheria Sarai woman police station in Darbhanga.

Senior superintendent of police Kumar Aikley said: “A case of sexual assault has been registered against Mahavir Paswan. The accused is absconding.”

The 18-year-old girl had fled from the Muzaffarpur-based North Raksha Grih to Darbhanga in September. After being kept at Darbhanga Childline, she was shifted to Muzaffarpur Childline. On November 14, a team of the child welfare committee in Muzaffarpur held a counselling session with the girl where she accused the Darbha nga Childline official, Paswan, of sexually assaulting her.

Darbhanga Childline suspended Paswan on November 14. Tripathi lodged the FIR on Tuesday on directions of the committee.

He said: “In a statement to the committee, the victim alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Paswan when she was at the Darbhanga rehab centre a month ago.”

Aradhna Kumari, the coordinator at Darbhanga Childline, said: “Mahavir’s work was satisfactory since he joined in 2010. He was polite and we never got any complaints against him. The girl did not divulge her pain when she was produced before the Darbhanga child welfare committee.”