More on the Michael Job Centre/Humla scandal:
46 more children with parents identified in Sulur orphanage (The Times of India)
P Sreedharan, TNN
Nov 7, 2011
COIMBATORE: The ongoing probe into the alleged international child trafficking racket involving an orphanage here after 23 Nepalese children were found in their custody under the guise of orphans has become murkier. The Child Welfare Committee probing into the institution has identified and sent 46 more children to their rightful parents so far.
COIMBATORE: The ongoing probe into the alleged international child trafficking racket involving an orphanage here after 23 Nepalese children were found in their custody under the guise of orphans has become murkier. The Child Welfare Committee probing into the institution has identified and sent 46 more children to their rightful parents so far.
More such cases are expected to crop up in the coming days claimed officials involved in the process. Majority of these children were from Assam and Bihar. Even though they were not orphans, they were lodged at Michael Job Centre for Orphan Girls in Sulur.
"We are probing into the matter. More such children were identified and the Child Welfare Committee is expected to send a detailed report to me in the coming days. It is a sensitive issue and we have to handle it carefully," said M Karunagaran, District Collector, Coimbatore.
The chairman of the institution Dr PP Job, a famous evangelist based out of New Delhi was also asked to appear before the Child Welfare Committee but has not complied with the order so far. He had sent a deputy to represent him before the committee on October 11.The committee along with the Social Welfare Department are now engaged in trying to confirm the exact number of such children being lodged at the centre and trying to rehabilitate them with their natural parents.
"We had asked Dr Job to appear before the committee but he has not done so yet. We have been contacted by some parents after they heard about the incident involving Nepalese children and we have identified 46 more children who were not orphans at the centre," said Dr D Rajan, Chairman, Child Welfare Committee, Coimbatore.
The officials have also cancelled the license of the centre. As of now 485 children reside there and are given a formal education. Officials say they are proceeding cautiously, as the future of the children is at stake. Their main priority is children below eighteen years of age. The centre was initially given 15 days to furnish their documents and records. It is believed that majority of the children at the centre are from the North Eastern States, Bihar and also some parts of TN.
Meanwhile, officials at the Michael Job centre dismissed the entire issue and claimed that they have filed a legal appeal with the Tamil Nadu government challenging the district collector's order to withdraw the license of the centre.
"We have filed an appeal challenging the withdrawal of the license of the centre on October 3. I cannot divulge much about the matter at this point of time," said CV Francis, a Delhi based advocate representing the orphanage.
Duelling videos -- Humla trafficker Dal Bahadur Phadera
http://www.pear-now.org/
For background, see:
Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.http://www.pear-now.org/
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