Nagpur: A major racket of an illegal orphanage has been exposed in Nagpur, where unsuspecting citizens were being duped in the name of helping orphaned children. Operating without the mandatory registration certificate under the Juvenile Justice Act, the so-called Shri Anath Seva Ashram was collecting amounts ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000 from people under the pretext of supporting orphans, a report in a local Marathi daily Maharashtra Times said.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from Maharashtra Times posed as donors and infiltrated the Ashram to expose the harsh reality. Inside, 16 minors were reportedly housed, some of whom were allegedly orphans, according to a staff member.
Gold Rate
27 June 2025
With the help of the District Women and Child Development Department, the operation was busted, and two minors were rescued by the Pachpaoli Police. Shockingly, the Ashram had hired agents who went door-to-door, emotionally manipulating citizens into donating money by invoking the plight of orphaned children. Records maintained by these agents confirmed the illegal collections.
The media team immediately alerted Childline and District Child Protection Officer Mustaq Pathan, who further informed District Women and Child Development Officer Ranjit Kunhe. Acting swiftly, Pathan, accompanied by Childline counsellor Mangala Tembhurne and team members Meenakshi Dhadade, Pooja Kamble, and Megha Patil, reached the Ashram located in a secluded lane of Ashok Nagar area of the city.
The facility was locked when the team arrived. On the pretext of celebrating a birthday, they convinced the staff to open the gates, during which the existence of orphaned children was admitted. Though the Ashram claimed to house 16 children, only three were found on the premises — raising serious questions about the Ashram’s credibility.
Once it was established that the Ashram was illegal, Pachpaoli Police were called in. Shockingly, it took over an hour for the police to arrive, by which time one of the three children had already disappeared. The remaining two minors were safely rescued.
During police questioning, the Ashram operator confessed to running the facility without the mandatory registration certificate under the Juvenile Justice Act. Assistant Police Inspector Pramod Sonawane, PSI Sunil Tidke, along with Mukesh Yadav, Geeta Awasthi, and Asha Padwal, played key roles in the operation.
Pachpaoli Police are now conducting further investigations to expose the full extent of the racket and track down those responsible for exploiting public sentiment under the garb of charity.
