NDTV Impact: Orphanage incharge in police net

NDTV Impact: Orphanage incharge in police net

NDTV Correspondent, Sunday May 9, 2010, Mahbubnagar

The Mahbubnagar district police have zeroed in on the orphanage-incharge and the so called foster parents whose alleged callous actions pushed orphan child Rajitha to the brink.

Premnath is accused of running an illegal orphanage in the Mahbubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, and with him is the couple to whom he handed over eight-year-old orphan child Rajitha. Till June 2009, Premnath reportedly had 63 children with him and Rajitha was among the last three children he gave away because he no longer got financial support from the government.

"Now they say I beat her, I sold her. I did all this on humanitarian grounds. There is so much paper work for keeping somebody. The ICDS caters to children below five, the child labour project is for children between nine and 14. Where should the six, seven and eight-year-olds go?" said Premnath, Incharge, Orphanage.

"I don't have any daughters. So we brought her home. We only wanted to help her," said Narayana, foster father accused of child abuse.

The police have registered cases under the child labour prevention Act and for child abuse.

"Anyone who runs an orphanage must have a certificate. he had no certificate," said G Sudheer Babu, SP, Mahbubnagar district.

At the government hospital where Rajitha arrived severely malnourished and bruised more than three weeks ago, the child is waiting to go to a place she can call home.

"The child is improving. With good diet, antibiotics, anti-TB drugs. We are taking all care and the child will improve," said Dr Venkatachary, Paediatrician.

Several NDTV vieweres have offered help and support to Rajitha, hoping to correct the many wrongs in her life, so Rajitha can at least from now live the life she deserves.