People’s Legal Forum for handing over rescued children to foster caregivers

The People’s Legal Forum, Mysuru, has urged the Karnataka Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Bengaluru, to ensure that children rescued from alleged trafficking group are reunited with their foster caregivers.

In a letter to the chairperson and members of Karnataka Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Forum director P.P. Baburaj said foster caregivers had submitted their applications for care of their respective children under Section 44 read with Section 37 (1) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2015. Unfortunately, their applications were not honoured by the Mysuru Child Welfare Committee, said Mr. Baburaj, who is also a former member of the Child Welfare Committee and Juvenile Justice Board, Mysuru.

All rescued children, who were taken away from their foster caregivers after the child trafficking racket was unearthed, had now been kept at three different orphanages in Mysuru and Mandya, he said. “It is not a ‘trafficking’ case as claimed by the police since the children were in individual homes living with all the rights and privileges. All the children were looked after very well by the foster caregivers in a protected environment ensuring their education and well being,” Mr. Baburaj said.

“The word ‘trafficking’ can be used only in the context of having intent of exploitation, harm or abuse of child is involved. In this case, each foster caregiver had taken utmost care to his/her respective child. There are several photographs and other records to prove their care and relationship. However, unfortunately, CWC has not even looked into this aspect,” Mr. Baburaj said.

The children and the foster caregivers had developed a bonding and their relationship cannot be severed at this juncture, he argued. “Severing their relationship would injure the minds of both. Both of them are undergoing a traumatic experience,” he said.

Separating the children from the protected environment and sending them to orphanages was in violation of the spirit of the Juvenile Justice Law, Mr. Baburaj said.

‘All rescued children, who were taken

away from their foster caregivers after a child trafficking racket was unearthed, are now

with three different orphanages in Mysuru

and Mandya’