Status quo on transfer of kids from society

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered maintenance of status-quo in respect of transfer of 28 children from the Poor Economic And Children Educational Society (PEACE Society) in Coimbatore.A division bench gave the direction on February 6 while passing interim orders on a writ appeal from the society, represented by its secretary G Baskaran of Kalapatti. According to advocate Vijayalakshmi Rajarathinam, the society was doing inter-country adoption with an approved licence. It applied for renewal of licence when it expired in June last year. Pending renewal, the Social Welfare Department pointed out certain lacunae for compliance. It also directed the society to transfer all the 28 children kept by it. Challenging this, the society preferred a writ petition and a single judge granted a stay and later by an order January 18 this year, dismissed the writ petition. The society preferred the present writ appeal.“In view of the above fact and taking into consideration the interest of the children, who had been kept in the society for quite a number of years under their care and protection and the fact that the renewal for licence has not been so far rejected and the society had been permitted only to comply with certain conditions and, more particularly, the matter has been seized of by this court from January 30, we are of the considered view that status quo as on January 30 has to be maintained by both the parties,’’ the judges said.