The director, Luban Kumar, 65, a retired teacher, his wife Mercy Rani, 55, and her brother Justin Manavalan, 60, were arrested after the inmates reported abuse.
The director, Luban Kumar, 65, a retired teacher, his wife Mercy Rani, 55, and her brother Justin Manavalan, 60, were arrested after the inmates reported abuse.
The home, Mercy Adaikalapuram Missionary Home for children, housed 50 girls between the ages of 5 and 17. The director also resided in the same building with his family.
The action was taken after District Collector K.S Kandasamy paid a surprise visit to the home based on a tip-off. “They targeted the three orphans because they had nowhere to go or complain,” said K.S Kandasamy. The Collector lodged a complaint with the Tiruvannamalai all women police station on this regard.
Kansasamy said that the home lacked basic amenities, the girls had no privacy and were supervised by a male security guard. He added that the girls have been to another home and during the inquiry, they revealed that they were also sexually abused.
The girls said that Luban would call them to his room late in the night and sexually abuse them. He would also threaten them against complaining. But when the girls reported it to his wife, her brother Manavalan barged into their room and thrashed them repeatedly until they promised to remain silent. The minor girls had faced abuse for more than a year.
The accused were booked under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) and the home was sealed.