After carrying out a preliminary inquiry on a complaint from the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), the K.K. Nagar police has registered a case against the founder of Mose Ministries Home for Children for not having registered the home accommodating several minor girls.
The case was booked under Section 20 (2) of the Tamil Nadu Hostels and Homes For Women and Children (Regulation) Act, 2014 and under section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000.
Founder in the dock
The police have named the founder of the home Gideon Jacob as the accused. However, he has not been arrested till now, police sources said.
The home accommodates 89 girl children with 55 of them below the age of 18.
According to police, the founder of the home had not registered it as per law and not obtained licence for running it besides not making arrangements for its proper maintenance.
The police action was a sequel to a recent written complaint lodged by DSWO S. Usha in which the officer stated that the children home was not registered and its authorities had not provided specific details of children accommodated in it and on other aspects.
A police team inspected the home a few days ago and carried out a preliminary inquiry based on the complaint. The home is functioning at Ranga Nagar in Subramaniapuram here.
Not registered
The DSWO, who inspected the home on different occasions, said the home was not registered under the Juvenile Justice Act which was mandatory as per government rule and the authorities had not provided specific details of children and on other aspects.
Ms. Usha said the home had given conflicting information with respect to schooling of some children.
The Social Welfare Department had taken the list of children and got them checked with the respective school and found that some of them were not studying in the schools as informed by the home.
The department has conveyed this information to the Child Welfare Committee, she said.
Police sources said the bio-data of every child and their photographs were being verified as part of the investigation which was continuing.
