Officials raid unregistered Polur home; five kids rescued

Acting on an order from Collector Prashant M Wadnere, officials rescued five inmates – two girls aged 14 years and three boys.

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Cracking the whip on homes which are not registered under the Juvenile Justice Act, officials of the District Child Protection Unit ordered the closing of a home in Polur on Saturday. They have also rescued five children. 

According to sources, the officials, which included Child Protection Officer and Revenue department officials, raided a home located near a bus stand in Polur. Though the home was registered under the Tamil Nadu Hostels and Homes for Women and Children (Regulation) Act, 2014, the inmates were not provided amenities prescribed under Juvenile Justice Act.

Acting on an order from Collector Prashant M Wadnere, officials rescued five inmates – two girls aged 14 years and three boys in the age group of 8 to 13 years. Officials have also initiated procedures to shut down the home.

The rescued children have been temporarily lodged at a reception unit of Child Welfare Committee. Of the five children, two are orphans. According to official sources, “The boys belong to poor families and were brought to the home a few months ago. The administrators claimed innocence for operating the home without necessary approval.” 

Speaking to Express, District Child Protection Officer Kokila said the home does not provide separate rooms for children and toilet facilities. They were also not provided proper shelters.

The crackdown was part of a measure to regulate homes registered under Hostels Act and JJ Act, she added. “Children’s homes registered under the JJ Act are meant for kids who need care and protection by CWC. However, children, who are lodged at private hostels and paid by their parents, will not be brought under the JJ Act. We are inspecting each and every home in the district to verify whether they need to be registered under JJ Act,” she said. 

Sources said that there are about 7,000 children housed at 50 homes functioning in the district. This includes homes registered under JJ Act and private hostels. “We expect at least 5,000 children lodged in 35-40 homes to get registered under JJ Act,” an official said.

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