Srinagar- A major controversy erupted on Friday between Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairperson Dr Khair-un-Nisa and the administrators of an ‘unregistered’ orphanage after a group of around 18 children reportedly went missing from Bemina area of this capital city.
While Dr Khair-un-Nisa, a well known child rights activist alleged that 18 children were missing from an orphanage at Nundreshi Colony Bemina mysteriously, police refuted the allegation, saying all the 18 children are safe and have been shifted to some other facility in the same locality.
Dr Nisa said the children were inexplicably missing from an unregistered orphanage namely Al-Miskeen Yateem Trust Friday afternoon.
She went on to say that the administrators of the orphanage were intimated many a time to get the trust registered under Juvenile Justice Act. However, the trustees showed no regard in following the law of the land.
Refuting the allegations that 18 children are missing from the orphanage as baseless, Abid Ali one of the trustees of Al-Miskeen Yateem Trust said the children are safe and have been moved to another facility within the same locality.
“We have a proper registration from the Department of Society Registration. I strongly refute the allegations of any children having gone missing from the orphanage. They are safe, we have actually shifted to Hamdania Colony Bemina and the issues sprang up as a result of the miscommunication,” he said.
Of the eighteen children who had been reported missing, he claimed, ten had returned home, seven were still in the orphanage, and one lives close by.
“I visit the orphanage on and off to inquire about the well being of the children. I requested the trustees to get the orphanage registered under JJA time and again and they initially sought time but could not get the unlicensed orphanage registered later” Dr Nisa told Kashmir Observer.
She also admitted that the missing children have been recovered by the police and are safe. However, she insisted on having custody of all 18 children and threatened to sue the trustees if they did not comply.
“I will initiate legal action against the trustees of Al-Miskeen Yateem Trust, in case they fail to hand over the custody of children. I cannot let the children be there anymore as the trust operates without registration,” she added.
A police official from Bemina police post told Kashmir Observer that the children were moved to some other facility within the same locality.
“All 18 children are safe. Actually they were moved to a safer facility in the same locality. Matter is under investigation at the moment and details, if any, in this regard would be shared in accordance with the findings of the current inquiry,” he added.
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