The Madhavaram police on Monday arrested two persons in a madarasa for harboring and abusing minor orphans from Bihar. The Chennai city police rescued 12 children from the madarasa and offered them accommodation in a government hostel after medical care.
A senior police official said they received a complaint of child molestation and physical abuse on 1098, ChildLine. The helpline informed Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwala.
Acting on his instructions, Joint Commissioner of Police (West) S. Rajeswari constituted a special team and raided the madarasa located at Ponniammanmed near Madhavaram. During the investigation, the police found that the boys, aged between 10 and 12, were brought from Bihar by two persons who run the place. The children were physically injured, the police said.
The Madhavaram police registered cases under three sections of the Indian Penal Code and arrested accused Akthar and Anwar, who are also from Bihar, the police official added.
Based on standard operating procedure, police took the children to the Government Children’s Hospital for medical examination and later took them to the Royapuram Boys’ Home in the presence of the Child Welfare Officer, Rajeswari. Later, Mrs. Rajeswari visited the boys at home and distributed chocolates to them.
The accused were brought before a judge and sent to custody.