14 children found in Palakkad district to be sent back to native place

PALAKKAD: The 14 North Indian children found in a house at Menonpara in the district will be sent to their respective states as the Grace Care Society authorities failed to produce valid documents proving their identity.

The children, aged between 11 and 14 years, were sent to the Government Children’s Home at Muttikulangara after producing them before the  Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

Meanwhile, the Kozhinjampara police registered a child trafficking case  and recorded the arrest of Aji Mathew George, the manager of Grace Care Society. He was produced before the court and remanded in custody. Though another person, John was taken into custody on Thursday, his arrest was not recorded. Kozhinjampara circle inspector V Hamza told Express Aji Mathew George could not produce any documents to prove the identity of the children. Even the Aadhaar card produced by the society was issued from Kozhinjampara in Palakkad which could not be accepted.

Hanza said there were 17 children in the group and three of them were shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. The child protection workers had found 14 children in the rented house at Menonpara.

Aji Mathew George had said they had purchased five acres of land at Menonpara to set up a school. The plan was to enrol the children in the school.

Child Protection Officer Jayasree told Express there were no documents to prove Grace Care Society was running an orphanage. “If the children are destitutes they should produce the no objection certificate issued by the Child Welfare Committees of the respective villages. If the children had parents, they should produce a certificate from the village officer stating the parents had handed over the children to the child care home as they were unable to educate them. The society could not produce any documents in this regard,” she said. If they are orphans, the house where they are lodged should be approved by the Orphanage Control Board, said Jayashree.