A Vanasthalipuram based orphanage, Gracious Paradise, was sealed by authorities for forcing 33 children from the home to beg on city streets. The children — 28 girls and five boys — all aged between 5 and 15 years, were subsequently rescued by members
of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) along with police.
They were later shifted to a government-run observation home at Nimboliadda in Kachiguda.
“While a case was registered against the orphanage last month, premises have been sealed now in keeping with orders of the CWC court issued,” said A Devender Chary, district child
protection officer, Rangareddy.
The police said the non-government organisation that claimed to ‘work for the rehabilitation of children belonging to underprivileged and vulnerable sections of society’, was being run by a former Secretariat employee, Vijay Satyananad, who had sought
voluntary retirement. On December 14, following a complaint by Devender Chary, district child protection officer, Rangareddy, Vanasthalipuram police booked a case against owner, under Section 42 (operating without permission) and Section 79 (pushing children
into begging) of the Juvenile Justice Act.
No arrests have been made so far. “The case is currently under investigation. We have shifted the children to the Nimoliadda children’s home,” said D Vijay, sub-inspector, Vanasthalipuram The matter, according to CWC members, first came to their notice about six months ago when they spotted these children begging at various traffic signals. On probing the matter, they realised that these kids lived at same home. “Three notices have been sent by the CWC and the owner was also summoned by the court. The notices were ignored,” said Chary.
Speaking about the facility, he said a majority of the kids living there aren’t orphans. “Most of them are from extremely poor backgrounds. They were brought to the orphanage after their parents were convinced that they will be sent to school and taken care of. The kids were kept in very poor conditions and stuffed into small rooms. They were made to beg after school hours,” said Chary. #KhabarLive
