The document summarizes 3 case studies handled by Childline 1098 in Warangal, India. Case Study 1 describes the sexual abuse of an 8-year-old mentally impaired girl by 3 teenage boys. The boys were taken into custody and the girl was placed in a children's home. Case Study 2 involves the sexual exploitation and abandonment of a 15-year-old girl by a married farmer. The girl is now 6 months pregnant and living in a women's home. Case Study 3 describes a 16-year-old girl who became pregnant by a man who promised to marry her but later refused. Her family is facing social stigma and pressure to abort the child.

1. CHILDLINE 1098 WARANGAL
CHILDLINE stands for a friendly 'didi' or a sympathetic 'bhaiya' who is always there for
vulnerable children 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year. There were 27 million calls as of
March 2013, 3 million children, 291 cities, and 17 states.
1098 is a phone number that spells hope for millions of children across India, CHILDLINE is
India's first 24-hour, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance.
Whether you are a concerned adult or a child, you can dial 1098, the toll-free number to access
our services. We not only respond to the emergency needs of children but also link them to
services for their long-term care and rehabilitation. We have, to date, reached out to over three
million children across the nation through such calls.
CHILDLINE is a platform bringing together the Ministry for Women & Child Development,
Government of India, Department of Telecommunications, street and community youth, non-
profit organizations, academic institutions, the corporate sector and concerned individuals.
At Warangal, MARI (Acronym for Modern Architects for Rural India), an NGO that aims at
bridging Government’s Law making-implementation divide, works to run childline throughout
the Warangal District. There are 12 members working round the clock to ensure children get
their justice. They ensure that children are not left out by conducting raids in shops for child
labors, special drives, and campaigns for spreading awareness about 1098.
I was fortunate enough to be present during one of these drives. As a participant, it was
disheartening, coming face to face with harsh reality. Working in collaboration with a local
police station, 38 underage children were rescued from shops. There were rehabilitated in a
Government Children’s home and the child welfare committee worked to fine the shopkeepers
and counsel the parents about how important education was.
Protection, Education and Maintenance of children is a multi-faceted problem that has to be
tackled in a meticulous ways without harming the child in any way.
Following are cases that were prominent in the time of my volunteering. They represent cases
which are becoming more and more prevalent by the day, requiring the government to
immediate action in these exigent situations.

2. PROMINENT CASE STUDIES IN CHILDLINE- WARANGAL
CASE STUDY – 1:
CHILD ABUSECASEINNEKKONDA:
BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION:
Shyamala* (8) is a young girl living in Nekkonda with her parents. According to her parents,
Shyamala* was a slow learner and mentally immature compared to other girls of her age.
Taking advantage of this, Sai*(15),Ban*(15) and Mahi*(12) together sexually abused her,
videotaping the act with their mobiles. These were made into CD’s and were quickly
proliferated into the town’s video rental shops. Eventually, Bhanuprakash’s parents came to
know about this atrocity and believed that their son was innocent to begin with, but had his
mind corrupted by Saikumar. They took this matter to Saikumar’s parents, resulting in a fight
between the two. On questioning the girl, the situation became clear. The entire picture came
to light 5 days after the crime. The boys had threatened to kill her if she had told her parents
anything. The girl’s parents immediately filed an FIR with the police and the three boys were
taken into custody.
RESPONSE AND CURRENT STATUS:
The girl’s family has been approached by the Childline 1098, Warangal, and has been in
correspondence since then. The child has been produced before the children’s welfare
committee and was advised to remain in a children’s home in Janagaon. The child will be
provided with food, clothing, shelter and education in the home. The parents can come and
visit her anytime they like. In addition, the child will receive a compensation of 1 Lakh rupees.
As of now, the three boys remain in a Children’s Home under observation by the Juvenile
Justice Board.
COMMENTS:
This, according to me, is a case of neglect and apathy by parents. At ages where the child
should invest his time in educating himself to be a productive and socially responsible person,
he has been morally starved and corrupted. Their parents are partly responsible for what has
happened. Schools should focus on moral values, rather than simply technical education. The
growth of a child has to monitored meticulously up to the age of 16.The result will be a gem of
a person which the nation will be proud of.

3. CASE STUDY – 2:
CHILD ABUSE CASE IN NARSAPUR:
BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION:
Komili* is a 15 year old girl living with her grandmother in Narsapur, Warangal District. Her
parents work in Hyderabad as construction laborers. She stopped going to school from class
two and works in the farm. Ram*, a farmer, married and having two kids, decided to take
advantage of this situation. Her grandmother, being aged, did not care much about her
granddaughter. Ram* daily visited the girl and fed her dreams of their future life together. The
girl, easily beguiled by his obsequious behavior, fell for him and got pregnant with his child.
After this happened, Ram* adopted a use-and-throw policy. He immediately deserted her and
threatened her not to reveal anything that happened between them. Devastated, Komili* kept
silent for a couple of months until it was clear to everyone that she was pregnant. Upon
questioning, this situation came into light and a case was filed with the police. Ram* was put
behind bars.
RESPONSE AND CURRENT STATUS:
The story was published in the newspaper and Childline 1098, immediately went there and took
stock of the situation. Komili* was produced in the next Child Welfare Committee. Her parents
were also present .The committee first severely reprimanded the parents for neglecting the
child. It was a grave mistake for the parents to leave her when in the critical and prime stage of
her life. Komili* too wasn’t spared from admonishment. It was also the mistake of the child
who, so readily got fooled by his promises that she even agreed to engender with him. This
would have been possible if the child would have been monitored by her grandmother, who,
given her age, was not able to do so. Now, Komili* is 6 months pregnant. She is not willing to
undergo abortion. The committee advised her to stay and continue in a woman’s home and
stay there until she feels otherwise.
COMMENTS:
If Komili* would have been going to school under the supervision of her parents, she might not
have undergone such a tragedy. At least, if not to school, her parents should have been there
for her at this age. As for Ram*, criminals like these exist in every nook and corner of our
society and would continue to exist unless each and every one of us stops viewing a woman as

4. an object. Unless man learns to control his mind and knows the depth of each right or wrong he
does, he will not change. As of now, sadly, punishment seems to be the cheapest and easiest
option available.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy

5. CASE STUDY – 3:
CHILD ABUSE CASE IN HANUMAKONDA:
BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION:
Ketapaka Anusha is a 16 year old girl staying in the Kasturba women’s social welfare hostel in
Hanumakonda. She is a regular school going child who goes and comes by walk to hostel. It was
during this time Sadu Naga Raju, aged 25, brother of her close friend cast his lustful eyes upon
her and through his persuasion convinced her to love him. Eventually she started visiting his
residence and involved with him sexually. In course of time, she got pregnant and she revealed
this to her parents. Anusha is of madiga caste, which still faces socialdiscrimination to the
extreme. Whereas, Nagaraju is of the Mudiraj caste would be ostracized if he married her.
Knowing this full well, he assured Anusha that he would marry her. After she revealed that she
was pregnant, her parents took her to the village elders who summoned Naga Raju along with
his family. Naga Raju accepted his mistake in front of court and declared that he would marry
her a few days later. However on the designated date, Naga Raju’s phone was switched off and
couldn’t be reached in anyway. When his family was contacted, they bought the social
discrimination to the fore and verbally abused the girl and her family. Moreover, they gave the
girl’s family Rs.40, 000 to abort her child. This led the parents to approach the police and lodge
a complaint against the boy and his family.
RESPONSE AND CURRENT STATUS:
The story was printed in the newspapers and 1098 team immediately reached there and
assessed the situation. Since a CWC meeting was scheduled that day, the team recommended
immediate trial of the child to ensure speedy justice. Her parents and the child were then
counseled. The family was reluctant to take back the child as they thought they would not be
able to handle the social stigma meted out to them, in short, disown the child. The child wasn’t
ready to neither leave her family nor abort the child. The child already looked very anemic and
chances of her survival at childbirth looked slim. She was advised to abort for her own good.
Since she was so reluctant, she was advised to take medical advice on the issue. Now, parents
have sought more time for a final decision and said they would take a decision based on the
best interests of the girl. That seems unlikely. There is a need to follow up on this case.

6. COMMENTS:
This case cannot be generalized that of parents neglect. This is a typical case of children being
very influenced by their surroundings and taking rash decisions based on their impulses. The
mistake , I would say, lies with the girl herself for being overly gullible and the hostel authorities
for being so lenient. Again, I would like to lay emphasis on imparting moral education to the
child and teach them right from wrong. It may be difficult for the child to treat the issues as
maturely as adults, but in this fast-paced life, they need to know the consequences of their
decisions.