Eight-year-old Lakshmi, whose parents complained to The Hindu on Friday about the problems they were facing in dealing with the Child Welfare Committee, which had taken her into protective custody, was released after the CWC concluded its proceedings later that evening. The parents of the girl agreed before the committee to go back to their hometown, and produced train tickets as the proof of intent. Lakshmi's parents, who are migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh, had told The Hindu that police personnel took her away when she was buying sweets on the Marina ( Now, a Norway in Chennai , published in The Hindu on January 28).
According to P. Manorama, Chairperson, CWC, the child was brought to the committee since she was found begging on the day before Pongal. “We even found the child with money.”
Explaining the delay in handing over the girl to her parents, she said: “Cases are posted for hearing 15 days after the child is brought, which gives us sufficient time to collect details about the whereabouts of the parents. And after Pongal holidays, the Purasawalkam unit of the CWC could meet only on Friday.”
“But it is not in our hands to ensure that the child does not go back to begging in her hometown,” she added.
