The place in itself hounds us-right? Atleast 20 girls and boys were rescued from an illegal orphanage in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district after they complained of mis-behaviour and sexual abuse by the authorities of the orphanage which was located in Parliwand ward number 7 in Kathua town. Investigations revealed that the orphanage was run by father Thomas Antony who belonged to Kerala.
The students said that they were sexually abused by Antony on a regular basis. The children belong to the 10 years-15 years age group.
Assistant commissioner (revenue) Jitendra Mishra told Hindustan Times that he was asked to raid the orphanage by Kathua deputy commissioner Rohit Khajuria on Friday evening.
After they reached the orphanage, they couldn’t find any board or hoarding suggesting that the rented place was being used to run an orphanage. On questioning Antony about the same, he revealed that he had been running it in liaison with the Pentecostal Mission in Pathankot. However, when the investigating officers cross-checked it, they were shocked because Pentecostal Mission in Pathankot outrightly denied any links with the orphanage.
Kathua Deputy Commissioner Rohit Khajuria said that the owner of the orphanage has been arrested and an FIR has been lodged against him. He also added that there was no female warden to look after the girls. Now they will conduct a medical examination of all the 20 children.
Also read: Kathua Rape Case: Lawyer arrested for trying to ‘rape’ a woman