Thirteen children were rescued from a church in Morang district yesterday. Organizing a press meet on Friday, District Administration Office (DAO), Morang revealed that the children were rescued from Sorbhag based church in Morang.
Eleven Children are from Humla and the remaining two from Morang. Acting on a tip off, a team of officers from the District Child Welfare Board (DCWB) of Morang, District Police Office (DPO) and Regional Office of National Human Rights Commission led by DAO, Morang jointly raided Inabul Church and set the children free. According to the police, the children were kept in church without the government´s consent. The DPO Morang has arrested Joseph Morandi and his wife Laulamba Morandi on the charge of keeping the children at the church illegally. Chief District Officer (CDO) Ganesh Raj Karki of Morang said the rescued children are suffering from malnutrition. They will be kept safely at Child Helpline of Biratnagar until other arrangements are made, the DAO source informed. Bishwa Raj Pokhrel, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Morang, said, “The children were held captive in a small room. Action will taken against the guilty.” The boys were reportedly forced into extreme labor. However, Joseph Morandi, denying the allegation, claimed that they had brought the children last month to provide them education. He added that they have been enrolled in a nearby Sharada Secondary School.
