MADURAI : The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday has directed Tiruchy district administration to liberate 82 adults out of 89 girl inmates of the Mose Ministries Orphanage Children Home from its (district administration) custody.
It also ordered that the remaining seven minor girls of the unrecognised home should be shifted to Nagamaiyar Children’s Home, K K Nagar, in Tiruchy, and the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI), which was handling the case against the home, was directed to complete the inquiry within nine months. The court, which was not satisfied with a report submitted by Tiruchy Mahila Court Judge on inmates, has restrained itself from recommending action against the presiding officer (Judge).
The writ petition was filed by the NGO Change India, which placed various allegations against Mose Ministries, which was running similar homes in Madurai, Salem and Tharangambadi of Nagapattinam. The petitioner claimed that the orphanage procured 125 girl children but 89 of them were available now. Many of them were allegedly affected with ‘Stockholm syndrome’ disease.
Earlier, the court has directed the district administration to take over the administration of the home before ordering Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) inquiry into the issue. It also later directed to conduct DNA tests, in order to parents of the inmates, through parents of 32 inmates were found.
When the petition was heard on Wednesday, a division bench of Justices S Nagamuthu and M V Muralidaran said since 82 out of 89 inmates were falling between ages of 18 and 27, they could not be contained, as per Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, under custody of the district administration. So they could stay wherever they wanted to, but, as per a report submitted by the Mahila Court Judge, they wanted to be staying under management of the home.
For that, the court could not comment on it. However, seven other children, who are under 18, needed care and protection, should be shifted to Nagamaiyar Children’s Home, said the bench.
A senior counsel appearing for the home informed though they have submitted an application for getting registration under JJ Act before the state government in 2010, so far no response was given. So the court directed the home authorities to submit all requirement documents again, and the state department of social defense should consider the application in four weeks.
The CBI Deputy Superintendent of Police appeared before the court and mentioned that they have found prima facie evidences against the home’s management headed by Pastor Gideon Jacob. But the pastor was in Germany and so they find it hard to make further progress in the investigations in this peculiar case, so he sought more time to complete investigations.
Disposing of the petition, the judges, after providing nine months time, have directed the CBI to appoint a woman officer in DSP rank.