The children were picked up for begging from two areas of Borivli (West) on May 11 in a joint operation by the juvenile aid prevention unit (Japu), a special police unit, the NGO Childline and the Borivli police.
More than a month after they were picked up by the police and branded ‘beggars’, nine children continue to languish in a Mankhurd-based children’s home. At least six of them, including two from Gujarat, are missing out on school.
The children were picked up for begging from two areas of Borivli (West) on May 11 in a joint operation by the juvenile aid prevention unit (Japu), a special police unit, the NGO Childline and the Borivli police. After questioning at the local police station, they were taken to the children’s home in Mankhurd.
The Juvenile Justice Act permits Japu to take charge of children found begging. This, according to the police, is aimed at protecting child rights. The children are later produced before the child welfare committee (CWC), which hands them over to parents only after being convinced that they will be sent to school and not be exploited.
The catch in this case is the evidence which suggests that at least six children regularly attended school and were not beggars at all.
The advocate for the children’s families, Kishor Joshi, has petitioned the prime minister and the chief minister’s offices accusing the police of wrongful confinement of minors.
Two among the nine children — sisters Tejal Wagri, 8, and Sangeeta Wagri , 7 — hail from Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Mother Geeta claims that they came to the city on May 9 to visit her sister Rekha, who owns a house at Dahisar.
The two girls, along with Rekha’s daughter Soni, were picked up from the Ram Mandir Road area in the suburb. Geeta has produced documents to prove the residential status and schooling of the children in Gujarat before the CWC. The principal of the Gujarat school has also shot a letter endorsing that the two children attended school regularly. Geeta says she makes enough selling old utensils to earn the daily bread for her children.
Rekha also insists she has submitted a certificate from Soni’s municipal school in Borivli, showing that she passed her seventh grade in June 2009.
“The school did not have higher studies. We failed to admit her to another school last year, but had made arrangements this time,” she said. Rekha, a housemaid, said she owned a one-room kitchen, and would not force her daughter into begging under any circumstance. Neighbours at her housing society support her claim.
Gauri Waghela, mother of three children — Vilas (10), Bhavna (8) and Vicky (8) —similarly picked up from a temple in the suburb, says her children, who were accompanying her due to vacations, were picked up when they went inside the temple to drink water. Gauri sells vegetables and spices outside the temple.
“I saw them take the kids away and ran after the vehicle. At the police station, the police did not hear our side. The children were taken to the children’s home. I have not met them since,” she said.
Family members of the three other children are yet to submit evidence to show they regularly attended school.
Bhagwandas Chate, senior inspector, Borivli police station, said that a complaint was registered at the instance of JAPU and Childline. A JAPU senior inspector insisted that the children had been begging. Based on evidence submitted by parents, Childline volunteers are now rallying for their release.
But there has been no relief for the children yet. The CWC has met thrice but is yet to decide on the time and the condition of their release. The schools reopened on June 14. Geeta does not know when she will be allowed to take her kids to Gandhinagar.
Sources at the children’s home admitted that it takes more than four months at times to complete procedures for the release. A staff crunch further delays proceedings. The home has two probational officers for the 250-odd children admitted. The officers are expected to make home visits and suggest conditions of release to the CWC.
CWC’s Vikas Sawant admitted to being presented with evidence showing that at least two of these kids went to school. “The police, however, are insisting that they were found begging,” he said.
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