Ludhiana shelter home owner held

Ludhiana, August 29

The Jharkhand Police on Wednesday arrested Satyandra Parkash Musa, 60, who ran Packiam Mercy Cross Trust, a child shelter home in the city, facing allegations of religious conversion.

Four children among eight rescued by the police last week have been taken to Jharkhand. At least 38 children, aged between 5-18, had been living at the home, that was issued notice by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in July to get itself registered. The CWC later learnt 30 children had been sent back to their parents in Jharkhand without informing the CWC.

When the home was raided on August 20, eight children were found. They were shifted to a home in Doraha.

Jharkhand’s SI Balram Das said they started investigations after receiving a complaint  that children were kept illegally at the Ludhiana home. DC Pradeep Agrawal said a probe into the conversion charges was on. The CWC had been asked to file an FIR, he added. Musa and his son denied the charges. — TNS