Indore: the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on October 30 released to their parents seven children who were detained seven days ago for going to attend Bible classes in Mumbai.
Justices S C Sharma and Alok Verma have directed the home secretary of the central Indian state the secretary to explain the reasons for detaining the children at the next hearing scheduled for November 6.
The children were detained on October 23 at the Indore Railway Station when they were boarding a train to Mumbai along with two guardians. The group was to attend Bible studies and other functions at Goregaon, a Mumbai suburb.
Around 3 pm, a mob of 200 persons from the Hindu Dharm Jagran Manch (Forum to awaken Hindu religion) stopped them and abused them in front of police personnel. The mob alleged that the children were being taken for conversion.
The police arrested the two guardians and took the children to a children home. The children were not allowed to return to their parents until the court intervention. The parents on October 25 pleaded with top police officers of the state for immediate release of their children.
The India unit of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International on October 27 filed a habeas corpus matter before Justice Jaiswal of the Indore High Court.
The petition sought immediate release of the children and action against those involved. It also filed bail applications for the two guardians before the trial court.
The petition complained that the children were not allowed to meet the parents. It also raised fear over the children’s safety since one of them had been hospitalized. Attorney General, Purushendra Kaurav was himself present in the court and sought more time to submit the status report.
On October 30, the court directed the administration to produce the children before the court and summoned Inspector General of the Police and Superintendent of Police.
The parents took charge of their children in afternoon of October 30.