Bengaluru: Mentally ill kids forced to do menial jobs, 3 held

BENGALURU: Three people were arrested by the Yelahanka police for supplying destitute and mentally retarded children to do menial jobs at various functions and ceremonies, under the pretext of providing free education.

The accused have been identified as Lokesh Nayak, 30, the in-charge officer of Bright Seva Foundation, Revanna Sideshwara alias Raghu, owner of LNR Enterprises and Siddagangamma, 30, a teacher at Vidyaranya Education and Development Society.

Based on credible information, the police went to  Chikkabommasandra circle where the children were getting into a Chikkamagaluru bound Tempo Traveller to work at a function there. The police rescued the children and arrested the three. The Bright Seva Foundation began a year ago and is located in Yelahanka.

Lokesh used to pick up poor children from government schools and assured them that he would give them free education and rented them out for Rs 1,500.
Revanna Sideshwara alias Raghu, owner of LNR Enterprises, with the pretext of supplying workers to the housekeeping department joined Lokesh to make fast buck. Siddagangamma, a teacher at Vidyaranya Education and Development Society, used to look after mentally retarded children and joined the duo to supply children from the school.

The Yelahanka police have registered a case and rescued 15 children, including three girls, and the rest of the 12 being mentally retarded from the age group of 8- 16. These children were sent to government child care centres.