CWC head, members sacked

The order was passed on the day when CWC filed case against officials, says Rayappan

The order was passed on behalf of the Governor of Karnataka by Shivakumar on December 5 which reached the committee members on Tuesday. The order says that the members of the CWC did not respond to a show-cause notice served by the department pertaining to alleged violations by the committee.

The dismissal order mentions about some complaints received against the operation of the Committee conducted in September 2007 to identify child labour and rehabilitate the child labourers. It is said that the CWC had failed to reply to the charges levelled against it.

However, according to CWC, some of the cases mentioned in the order are being heard by the High Court. Moreover, a detailed reply had been provided to the department’s notices in October, 2007. On October 21, 2009, clarifications had been furnished to the department, which reached the department on November 6.

The Child Welfare Committee is a five-member Bench of Magistrates constituted under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000.

Hilda Rayappan said that the order to sack the committee members was passed on the same day when she filed a criminal case with the police against three officials of the department for forcibly taking away some sensitive case files from the CWC office.