The Childline India Foundation has rescued five children, including four girl children from the ‘Shalom Biblical Baptist Church’ ministries situated in Chikkabellandur, Bengaluru.
According to a Bengaluru Mirror report, the five kids were taken and were ‘rehabilitated’ illegally by the Christian organisation, following which Childline raided the centre.
Childline India Foundation is a foundation that works with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Childline India Foundation is a nodal agency under the Ministry that operates a telephone helpline called ‘Childline 1098’ for children in distress.
Radha R, a member of the childline team, raided the Christian rehabilitation centre based on the directions from the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Board and found the five children inside the premises. In her complaint, Radha stated that the institution was sheltering around 14 children, both boys and girls, for rehabilitation without the due permission or registration from the JJ board.
Based on her complaint, Bengaluru police have registered a case against the Shalom Biblical Baptist Church and its head under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Childline India Foundation also alleged that the rescue centre did not even have a woman caretaker, which is a mandatory condition for running a rescue and rehab centres for minors. Of the five children rescued, four are girls aged between 7 and 16 years.