Minor kept in welfare home sans court nod

CHENNAI : Officials of a child welfare home and police personnel of Kallakurichi station in Villupuram district have been summoned by the Madras high court to explain as to how they had kept a 16-year-old girl in the home for a week without any court orders.
A division bench of Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice T Mathivanan directed officials of Don Bosco Child Welfare Home at Kedilam and inspector Thangam, sub-inspector Rajendran and woman police constable Parameswari to be present in court without fail on Wednesday.
The matter relates to the elopement of the girl, a Class 11 student of a school in Villupuram district. She went missing on July 21 and a police complaint was filed on July 28.
Since there was no progress in police’s efforts to trace her, the girl’s brother T Moorthy filed a habeas corpus petition in the high court seeking a direction to police to trace her and produce her in court.
A division bench directed police to produce the girl before the court on October 29. Moorthy said a local youth had kidnapped his sister and held her in confinement against her wishes.
On Monday, the matter was mentioned as a special case and the bench was informed that the girl had been traced.
When the judges held inquiries with the girl, she expressed her willingness to go with her parents.
Allowing the girl to go with her parents, the judges referred to a police statement that the girl was traced last week and was kept at Don Bosco Child Welfare Home, and said she had been lodged there for a week without orders from any court.
Terming it inappropriate, the judges summoned all concerned, including the girl’s brother, to be present in court on October 29 to offer an explanation on the matter.