Corporal punishment yes, molestation no: John Charles

What do you have to say about your arrest after a complaint was filed against you?
I have completely cooperated with the police in interrogation and have told them the truth.

You have been accused of molesting girls. Is this true?
I have never misbehaved with any girl. These allegations are part of a conspiracy to tarnish my reputation. The perpetrators are targeting not only me, but also the society-owned home.

Who do you think could be behind the conspiracy to defame you?
Right now, I do not have suspicion on anyone.

You have also been accused of beating students. Is it true?
I do accept that I have beaten some children in my home. The only reason was to teach them a lesson as they were mischievous. Other than that, the allegations are false.

How many children were their in your home?
There were 42 children, but when the raid was conducted, 41 were there. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) took them away. One boy left with parents two days before the raid.

Did the parents of the boy take him on their own?
No. The boy’s behaviour was bad. He had been warned a couple of times, but he did not take our warnings seriously. I called his father Richard and asked him to take his son away. Richard requested me not to send him. Then I asked him to keep the boy with him for a couple of days, after which he could be sent back, with a letter that he would not misbehave again.

What had the boy done that he had to be sent back?
He was not listening to the caretakers and was beating and threatening other inmates. The same day that his father took him, he called me to tell that I was right and even he was not able to control him.

There are allegations that your organisation does not have permission and is running illegally.
No. We have permission from SCRA as we have registered with it. The only thing we did not have was registration with CWC. The CWC should have sent me a notice, alerting me about it. Instead, they are saying we did not have permission.

Could it be the boy you expelled who complained to the CWC?
I don’t have any idea who complained. The CWC or the police did not tell me who the complainant was. The only thing they told me was that the call was made to child helpline by a local call booth.

The CWC and the police say that your organisation has been registered as an orphanage. However, most of your inmates have parents.
To answer this, I need to contact my senior authorities, as I am only the manager here. I should also talk to my advocate about this.