Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Tuesday imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on the farm owner from where five children were rescued recently.
Jafrulla, owner of the farm at Kempegowdanahundi near Varuna in the district confessed to keeping the children, all minors and also furnished a bond promising that henceforth he will not employ children for work.
The committee comprising its members Srinivas Raje Urs, Parashuram, Nalini and Yashodha imposed the fine, to be used on the welfare of children, currently lodged at Bapuji Children’s Home at Gokulam.
In the meeting that lasted nearly two hours, Jafrulla accompanied by his advocate claimed that he was not aware of the children in the farm. It was himself who had come to the farm asking for job.
However, when the committee adduced at the place belonging to Jafrulla from where the children were rescued, to disprove his claim of innocence, Jafrulla had to eventually eat his words.
Education
Meanwhile, two among the five children, Kavita, 11 years and Velarasu, eight years have expressed their willingness to continue with their education, by staying at a hostel.
While Papita, aged 12 and oldest among the five wants to take care of her father. While the remaining two male children aged five and three years are too naive to utter a word.
According to the committee, there is a provision to arrange for children’s education till they attain the age of 18.
On the other hand, Mayappa, father of the children, who wants to take them back has been asked to come again on July 27. Mayappa failed to produce ID proofs, as is the priority to hand over the children to his custody.
Still, the committee is mulling over safeguarding the future of children, by handing them over to their counterparts at Vellore in Tamil Nadu district. Following the incident a week ago, the officials from Vellore had contacted the committee here expressing willingness to take children into their custody.
In a joint operation, special children protection unit, special juvenile police unit and police had rescued the children, who were living by themselves at the farm. Mayappa had gone to his native on some work at that time.
Victim handed over to father
A 16-year-old girl who had been rescued from the clutches of a sex racket involving a BEO and her mother, was handed over to the custody of her father.
Following a habeas corpus filed by the girl’s father at the High Court recently, the girl was produced before the court and handed over to the latter’s custody. The girl who was lodged at Government Girl’s Home on Lalitha Mahal road in the city, had expressed her willingness to continue with her studies. She was studying at a reputed school in the city, at that time. The BEO had allegedly bought the girl from her mother, who had been running the racket.
BEO of K R Pet Puttaswamy Gowda who was arrested along with the girl’s mother on the charges, remain in judicial custody.