Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court passed a stay order regarding the forced shifting of 44 orphan children from St. Francis orphanage in Shyampura, Sagar.
According to reports, the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) along with local SDM and police administration came on January 6, around 1 pm and they forcefully tried shifting the inmates to other centers stating that registration of the Orphanage expired in 2020.
Earlier, the orphanage administration had filed a petition in the high court regarding the renewal of the lease of the land. Meanwhile, on January 6, the high court passed a stay order asking the CWC to stop the shifting and sought a reply within two weeks that on what grounds children were shifted in the extreme cold and hard times of COVID-19 Pandemic?
The Children also opposed the shifting and said "they do not want to be shifted anywhere else and this orphanage is our home."
Father, Sagar Diocese, Thomas Philip said that the act of CWC was a pure expression of politically malicious and it was taken under pressure of the local political leaders. The institution had already submitted all required documents to the concerned department for the renewal of registration but it was kept on hold.
Previously the same institution was accused with charges of serving beef and forced conversion of children. Both the accusations were found false and baseless during an inquiry conducted under high officials of district police.
“The institution has been selflessly serving for the last 145 years in various ways to the poor and marginalized of the Sagar city and nearby villages,” Thomas said.
