The Karnataka government safely repatriated 24 girl-children from Meghalaya after rescuing them from an unlicensed hostel in Chikkaballapur, but the move has triggered unexpected anger from several parents, who claimed their daughters were studying well and had no complaints. The girls will remain in government custody until the ongoing custodial case in the Karnataka High Court is resolved.
Trouble escalated during the official handover on December 2 when a group of men, allegedly linked to the Lei Synshar Cultural Society (LSCS), confronted officials and urged parents to take their children home. Police had to intervene and escort the men out before the girls could be moved to a designated safe facility, Meghalaya’s Social Welfare Department sources said.
Many parents expressed frustration, insisting their daughters were receiving good education, food and care at the Karnataka hostel. Some likened the repatriation to “kidnapping”, arguing that only the child who made the complaint to the 1098 helpline should have been returned.
Parents interviewed said their children had never reported poor conditions and that the Karnataka schools were more affordable and better than local options. However, several admitted they had never visited the hostel themselves, relying instead on reassurances from community “leaders”.
Why the rescue was ordered
According to Karnataka authorities, the action followed a distress call to Childline 1098 reporting unhealthy living conditions. A subsequent inspection by the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) found the girls living without proper bedding, consuming stale food, and fetching water from a stream. Many were reportedly sick.
Officials discovered that the hostel — Sowmya Kesuwanapalli Free Hostel for Girls, run by Aim for Seva Trust — was unregistered and not authorised to operate any hostel, particularly one for minors. Thirty-one girls were found on site, including 24 from Meghalaya and six from Karnataka.
The girls, aged 8 to 13, had been placed there in June 2025 by the LSCS. Parents had previously signed affidavits transferring guardianship to the NGO in exchange for free education, complicating the custody process. After an FIR was filed, the children were moved to the Government Children’s Home in Chikkaballapur.
The NGO filed a writ petition claiming custody, preventing the immediate return of the girls. Eventually, the Karnataka High Court ordered their repatriation to Meghalaya, but directed that they remain under the protection of the Meghalaya government until the court decides the larger custody issue.
Meghalaya’s State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Agatha Sangma confirmed that authorities acted after being contacted by Karnataka officials about the children’s plight.