Navi Mumbai: FIR against Kharghar orphanage for illegally accommodating nine minor girls

NAVI MUMBAI: The Raigad district women and child development officer has lodged a complaint at the Kharghar police station against those running a children's orphanage in Kharghar for allegedly illegally adopting nine minor girls and providing them foster care, without obtaining the mandatory certificate from the concerned government department.

Subsequently, the Kharghar Police on Thursday registered an FIR against the authorised person, of the orphanage, who has been booked under Section 41 (adoption) and 42 (foster care) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

As per the FIR by complainant Vinit Mhatre, Raigad District Women and Child Development officer at Alibaug office, in October last year, the child welfare committee had submitted a report on the Kharghar based orphanage stating that it was illegally accommodating orphan children.

Hence, on October 29, 2021, Mhatre along with officials of the child welfare committee and a lady constable of Kharghar police station reached the orphanage for inspection.

The team found 24 girls were accommodated and taken care of at the orphanage premises. They were also being sent to the school.

When Mhatre asked the concerned person at the orphanage, whether a mandatory certificate under the provisions of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act was obtained for accommodating the 24 girls at the orphanage, the person was unable to produce the certificate.

Hence, Mhatre inquired further and found that out of 24 girls, nine were minors. Hence, Mhatre gave the orphanage officials time to obtain the mandatory certificate.

In the meantime, the nine minor girls were shifted to a government-authorized orphanage in another sector in Kharghar. As the orphanage's authorised person did not submit the mandatory certificate even after three months, Mhatre registered a FIR against the concerned person on Thursday.

Sandeepan Shinde, senior inspector of Kharghar said, "Though the concerned orphanage's authority is carrying out a noble cause of adopting orphan girls, they should have done it legally by obtaining the mandatory certificate from the government office. The illegality came to light after a minor girl ran away from the orphanage and the police traced her to Kharghar railway station. Thereafter, the minor was handed over to the child welfare committee, who then conducted an inquiry, and the orphanage being run illegally was revealed."

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