Minor boy records statement before special magistrate

JAMMU: A minor boy, who was among 19 minors rescued from an illegal orphanage in Kathua, recorded his statement before special mobile magistrate Sunil Sangra in the border town on Monday, police said.

The J&K Police and Kathua civil administration on Friday had rescued 19 children aged between 5 and 15, including eight girls. Some of the children had levelled serious allegations of sexual abuse, torture and physical assault against father Thomas Antony, who was running the orphanage in a rented accommodation. “Due to nonavailability of a woman magistrate on Monday, statement of three girls, who were also rescued among 19 children, could not be recorded. Now, their statements will be recorded on Tuesday,” a senior police officer said. “The process of recording statements of children and others associated with the case will take around three to four days and by then, we hope to receive the medical reports of the children, he said. “Accordingly, it will take 10 to 15 days to present the chargesheet,” he added.

The officer also informed that there were two seizures of the material evidences from the orphanage, one by the team led by a magistrate and another by a police team. “Both the seizures have been combined and will be sent to forensic science laboratory, either in Delhi or Chandigarh, on Tuesday morning. We are trying for Chandigarh Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), provided they take it on priority,” he said. The electronic evidences seized from the orphanage include pen drives and mobile.

The officer said the children alleged that the accused showed them objectionable videos on his phone and we are looking into whether he showed the videos online or on his mobile phones.

“Though parents of children have told us that they have been visiting the children on monthly basis and they never complained them of any sexual abuse or torture. However, in our probe it was revealed that the misdeed with the children started only a month back,” he said.