Thane, April 12 - At least 29 children were rescued from an unauthorized hostel run by an organization in Maharashtra's Thane district. Giving information, an official said that the police on Friday rescued 20 girls and nine boys from a residential institution Pasaidan Vikas Sanstha in Khadawali. The police have registered a case against five persons under the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 and the POCSO Act.
It is worth mentioning that the Child Helpline received a complaint on Thursday that children were being beaten and sexually abused in the institution. The release said that a team from the District Women and Child Development Office along with the police inspected the institution on Friday and found the allegations true after talking to the children.
The rescued children were presented before the Child Welfare Committee. Some of them study in the Zilla Parishad School in Khadawali. In view of their upcoming exams, the education department is coordinating with the education officer’s office to make special arrangements for their exams.
According to the release, a case has been registered against the director of the institution, two of his family members and two others. “The safety and welfare of children has always been the priority of the administration. Strict action will be taken against the culprits,” said Collector Ashok Shingare.