Pastor held for sending child for domestic work

TIRUCHY: A pastor running a children’s home was arrested here on Friday and remanded in judicial custody on charges of sending an inmate for household work at his sister’s house.Saraswathi (name changed) of Mannachanallur, who was unable to take care of her children after her HIV-positive husband died two years ago, admitted all her three children, including Kavya (name changed) (13), at the Blessing Children’s Home in Iluppayur village near Pulivalam in Manachanallur. The home was run by Pastor J Selvaraj. Other than Kavya, Saraswathi’s children used to head home during holidays.“Whenever I asked, the pastor used to tell me that Kavya was studying at a school in Coimbatore,” Saraswathi said. However, when the mother tried to contact Kavya over the phone, she failed in her attempt. On Thursday, Saraswathi approached Tamizh, president of Network of Positive People Living With HIV, who sought the help of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) member and advocate T Jayanti Ranee to trace the girl. Kavya was found working as a help at the house of the pastor’s sister in Coimbatore. After a case was registered against the pastor under sections 417 of the IPC (cheating) and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act, he was produced before the Judicial Magistrate III Court and remanded in judicial custody.Kavya is now under the care of the CWC. Police have ordered an inspection of the children’s home.