The Chennai Corporation shelter for women in Adyar rescued a 12-year-old girl from the Ambattur Railway station two days ago. The officials state that they will soon be taking help from the city police to bust gangs that claim to be the parents of such runaway children and make them beg and sell narcotics.
Two days ago, during their routine checks, the staff of the Chennai Corporation shelter for women run by the NGO Montfort Siragugal found Kavya (name changed), the 12-year-old girl loitering in the Ambattur Railway Station. She spoke Hindi and English and she informed them that she had boarded a train from Chennai Central Railway Station and lied that her parents were no more.
The Flower Bazaar police was informed. Since the girl’s parents had lodged a missing complaint, the police informed them. “The girl is a native of Mumbai. Since her father works in the ship, they keep shifting from one city to another and now they are staying in a hotel in Broadway,” said a Chennai Corporation official.
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Though Kavya was in need of special education, she was not sent to any school. “Enquiry revealed that she ran away because her father had scolded her. After police ascertained that the couple was her parents, she was reunited with her family,” added the official.
Corporation wants police help
Meanwhile the Chennai Corporation officials said that they will be taking the help of the police to trap gangs that misuse such runaway children. “Recently we spotted a 12-year-old boy in Broadway bus terminus. A woman, who was with him, claimed that she was his mother. But when we questioned about the boy’s age and schooling, she was not able to answer,” said an official.
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She was taken to the Esplanade police station and let off with a warning. A similar incident happened in Velachery too. “These run-away children fall prey to such gangs that assure them of food and shelter. They make them sell flowers initially and later force them to sell ganja and beg,” added the official.