27 kids rescued from unregistered home in Tiruchy

It is said, there are 41 child care institutions in Thanjavur district of which 40 were registered under the Juvenile Justice Act as per the norms. Officials learnt that UR Kudil alias Sivasakthi Ashramam at Maruthanallur located near Kumbakonam on the Needamangalam road was not registered under the J J Act. Their proposal to register the home under the act was rejected by the Commissioner of Social Defence for various reasons including the poor staff strength.

What is unacceptable is that, the administrator of the home, Jyothi Loganathan, was shown as the parent of all the children, though most of their biological parents were alive. 

The names of the children and their caste were changed against their willingness. It is shocking to learn that the home refused to send back the children even when some of the parents came to take them back, added the officials.

Most importantly, the rule that children in any caretaker institution should be produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has been violated. Necessary orders for maintenance of the children were also not obtained by the administrator, pointed out the officials. Following the rejection of the application for registration under J J act, 2015 by the commissioner, a team of officials led by L Saraswathy, the District Child Protection officer on Wednesday visited the home at Marudanallur and with the help of Karthikeyan, the tahsildar of Kumbakonam, the police personnel from Tiruvidaimarudur rescued 27 children aged between 10-17 years including six boys. 

They were produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which entrusted their temporary maintenance to the District Child Protection Unit. Officials said, of the 27 children 10 children are from other districts. Five children are from Tiruvarur, one each from Coimbatore, Chennai and Sivagangai.

After due investigations, children would be sent back with the parents who are willing to take them back. If for reasons of poverty they could not bring them up, they would be admitted to Government approved children homes. However, according to sources, no case has been booked against the administrator of the home. Many of the children in the home should have been gone to the cradle baby scheme from where they could have been given in adoption to the childless couple. 

It might be noted on July 22, 2014, five children under the age of six were rescued from the same children’s home.