KALABURAGI: All's well that ends well. After weeks of running around for restoration of custody of an orphan child she had raised for the last seven years, Jayashree Guttedar of Gubbi Colony here was a relieved woman when the district authorities handed back the 7-year-old girl to her on Wednesday evening.
"It's like we have got back a lost treasure. My joy knows no bounds," she told TNIE.
About a month ago, an anonymous caller had informed the child helpline that Jayashree had been raising an orphan child illegally. Officials of the Women and Child Development Department had then taken custody of the child and admitted her to ‘Amulya Shishugraha’, a government orphanage. Ever since, Jayashree had been calling on officials of different departments to get custody of the girl.
On Monday, she even met district in-charge minister Priyank Kharge and Deputy Commissioner R Venkateshkumar. Following a report published in TNIE on Wednesday, (Woman fosters girl no one wanted, now has to fight for her custody), the district administration got into the act with the DC instructing the Deputy Director of Women and Children Welfare department to take immediate action in this regard. On Wednesday, an emergency meeting of the Child Welfare Committee was held.
On Wednesday, an emergency meeting of the Child Welfare Committee was held where it was decided to give custody of the 7-year-old girl to Jayashree immediately. Speaking to TNIE, Deputy Commissioner Venkateshkumar said members of Child Welfare Committee will visit the house of Jayashree every month to inquire about the well-being of the girl. The child will be in the foster care of Jayashree and the adoption process will be completed in due course.
Elated with the development, Jayashree got busy in preparation for a celebration. When Express contacted her, she said, “I am busy shopping. It will be a festive occasion in our house on Thursday. We will invite near and dear ones.”About seven years ago, Jayashree had found an abandoned female infant baby in a bush near a private maternity home.The mother of three has been raising the girl ever since and had even admitted her to an English-medium private school two years ago.