Five children raped at Sacred Heart Orphanage: Three held

November 30, 2014

Kasaragod, Nov 30: Three persons including a couple have been arrested by the Kothamangalam police in connection with the sexual abuse of five children staying at the Sacred Heart Home Orphanage at Elangavam, Varappetty in Kerala.

Thommi, 62, who operated the orphanage, Radhamani, who worked at the shelter, and her husband Chandran, 55, who allegedly raped the children, were arrested on Saturday.

Chandran was charged with sexually abusing the children. Cases were registered against Thommi and Radhamani under the Juvenile Justice Act. “The children said Radhamani used to hit them severely.

She and her husband lived in the shelter,” said Kothamangalam Circle Inspector K.M. Sajeev.

The incident came to light after one of the children told her schoolteacher that Chandran had abused all the children repeatedly at the orphanage. The children, between four and 10 years of age, were brought to the orphanage as infants and had been living there since.

“The shelter records are unclear about the address of the people who brought the children to the home. They have been shifted to a different facility,” Mr. Sajeev said.

The police said that the shelter home, which has been operating for the last 20 years, had all the paperwork for functioning but did not have sufficient facilities.

The police had asked Thommi to cut down the number of children at the shelter a few years ago due to lack of facilities.

“Children who had correct addresses and families were sent back, ” Mr. Sajeev said.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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