Published Nov 23, 2023 | 8:24 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 23, 2023 | 9:16 AM
NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo inspecting the Muslim orphanage in Bengaluru
The Karnataka police have registered a case of criminal trespass and outraging religious sentiments against National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo and a few others based on a complaint by the management of a Muslim orphanage.
The complaint came after Kanoongo, accompanied, according to him, by an NCPCR team, conducted a “surprise inspection” of the orphanage in Bengaluru in the early hours of Sunday, 19 November.
The inspection was conducted at the Darul Uloom Sayyadiya Arabic College’s Yateemkhana orphanage in the Kaval Byrasandra area of Bengaluru under the DJ Halli (Devarajeevanahalli) Police Station limits.
The orphanage management approached the DJ Halli Police Station in Bengaluru and lodged a complaint that a group of men and women — who claimed to be human rights activists — visited their trust-run orphanage around 2 am on Sunday.
The complaint said although the team praised the orphanage management during the inspection for its good work, the chairperson later posted on social media that the 200-odd children there were living a “medieval Taliban life”, and were deprived of schooling.
The post also mentioned that the NCPCR had taken cognizance of the matter and issued a notice to the Karnataka chief secretary in this regard.
DJ Halli Police Station’s station house officer (SHO) told South First that the cops had initially sent a notice to the orphanage seeking its registration certificate and other bona fides.
Soon after, the orphanage management presented the trust deeds to the police. Meanwhile, the management’s complaint was received, and an FIR was registered against the group of people who allegedly inspected the orphanage claiming to be human rights activists.
The police have booked Kanoongo and others for criminal trespass and also for outraging religious sentiments by terming the orphaned children’s condition at the orphanage as “medieval Taliban life” and allegedly spreading hatred against the minority community on social media.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer from the DJ Halli Police Station told South First that those who inspected the orphanage did not have any documents on them showing that they were from the NCPCR. Moreover, they had not issued any notice to the orphanage earlier, he said.
“Claiming that they were human rights activists, they inspected the orphanage in the early hours of Sunday. We have sought documents from the group of people who inspected the orphanage to determine if they are genuinely from the NCPCR,” the officer added.
Meanwhile, the NCPCR observations against the orphanage included the allegation that it was not registered with the government, and that it had several other irregularities when it came to child rights.
According to the NCPCR team, 40 of the around 200 orphaned children stayed in five rooms — each of just 100 square feet — at the orphanage. Another 16 children slept on bunk beds in the corridor.
The remaining 150-odd children slept in two different halls at night, the team observed.
According to the team, all 200 children were being given Islamic religious education in the Madrasa in the namaz halls throughout the day, with none being sent to school.
There was no play equipment, and the children were not allowed to watch TV, said Kanoongo in his post on X (formerly Twitter).
He added that the small children were so scared that they all stood still and closed their eyes when they saw the Maulvi coming.
They woke up at 3.30 am in the morning to study, and slept in the afternoon, the team observed.
बंगलुरु,कर्नाटक में दारूल उलूम सैय्यादिया यतीम खाना नाम से अवैध ढंग से चलते हुए एक ग़ैरपंजीकृत अनाथ आश्रम का औचक निरीक्षण किया जिसमें कई अनियमिततायें पायी गयीं।
यहाँ क़रीब 200 यतीम (अनाथ) बच्चों को रखा गया है।
100 वर्गफ़िट के कमरे में 8 बच्चों का रखा जाता है,ऐसे 5 कमरों में 40… pic.twitter.com/dnp1g8Wj7a— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (मोदी का परिवार) (@KanoongoPriyank) November 20, 2023
The team, during its inquiries with the orphanage management, apparently learnt that the children underwent training from evening till night, and that they had short breaks for Namaz during the day.
The group was also said to have learnt that there is no other place for eating, resting, entertainment, or other activities for the children.
Meanwhile, it also apparently came to light that this orphanage, which reportedly owns property worth crores of rupees, had a separate building in which it runs a school, but these children were not allowed to attend.
The NCPCR team stated that these children are living a “medieval Taliban life” — one that was not written for them according to the Constitution.
This was negligence on part of the Karnataka government and a violation of the Constitution, said the team, adding that it was taking cognizance of the matter and was issuing notice to the chief secretary of the state.
