Representative Image showing children.
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The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has directed the Chief Secretary of the Karnataka government to file a First Information Report (FIR) against a Bangalore-based orphanage, Darul Uloom Sayideeya Yateemkhana, for alleged non-compliance with rules.
The child rights body said that the orphanage was not registered under the Juvenile Justice Act, did not send the children to school, and did not fulfil infrastructure requirements.
NCPCR chief Priyank Kanungo put up a post on X saying that he carried out a surprise inspection of the orphanage which he described as “illegally run” and that the children are living a “medieval Taliban life” not ascribed in the Constitution.
“About 200 orphan children have been kept here; 8 children are kept in a room of 100 square feet, 40 children live in 5 such rooms and 16 children live in the corridor. The remaining 150 children, who offer namaz in the mosque, sleep in two different halls at night. All 200 children study Islamic religious education in the Madrasa in these namaz halls throughout the day. No child is sent to school,” he said in the post.
He further said that there is no play equipment and children do not watch TV. “The young children are so innocent and scared that when they see the Maulvi coming, they all stand still and close their eyes. They wake up at 3.30 in the morning to study in Madrasa,” his post read.
The NCPCR, in its letter to the Karnataka chief secretary, said that a case has been registered under sections 42 (Foster care), 34 (State government’s role in maintaining children’s homes) and 75 (Punishment for abusing or neglecting child) of JJ Act, and asked for an action taken report within a week.
The NCPCR has also written to the District Collector concerned to register an FIR and ensure the production of all children in the orphanage before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) as per Section 31 of the JJ Act, and share details of the children and staff in the orphanage.