A popular school in Chennai has caught into trouble on the grounds that it is carrying out a forced religious conversion. The conversion has come to light when the state commission inspected the hostels attached to the schools across the state and the hostel of this particular school was found to be unregistered and was housing girls from poor economic backgrounds, who were forced to change their religion. 

According to reports, CSI Monahan Girls Higher Secondary School in Royapettah, Chennai has come under the scanner for such religious conversion. It has been reported that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wrote a letter to Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu and DGP Sylendra Babu on Friday to take action against this school for forcibly converting the girls to Christianity.  

The development has come after the inspections conducted by the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Protection of Child's Rights (TNSCPCR). The State Commission has set up a team and conducted inspections to check hostels attached to the schools in the state. During the inspection, the team found that the Child Care Institution in CSI Monahan Girls Higher Secondary School was unregistered. 

During the inspection on September 6, the team also found that the school was housing girls from poor economic backgrounds at the Child Care Institution and these girls were forced to convert to Christianity. The reports say that after the inspection at this school, the probationary officer of the commission directed the District Child Protection Unit (DCPO) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to rescue the girls. 

As the matter has gone to the attention of the National Commission, it has now written to the Chief Secretary and DGP to initiate action against this school. NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoonga has stated that the girl students are housed in a hostel that is unregistered and urged the DGP and Chief Secretary to rescue the girls within a day. The DGP and Chief Secretary have been asked to file an FIR against the school. 

The chairperson further said that the hostel warden abused the school students and the school further forced parents to allow their children to stay in the hostel. The National Commission has also said that some girls who are staying at the Child Care Institution of the school called TNCPCR on September 9 and told the officials that they are yet to get rescued from the hostel and alleged that they are being abused by the warden. 

The National Commission has directed the state officials that all the girls should be produced before the Child Welfare Committee to record their statements over the forced religious conversion and to give them counselling as per the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection Act 2015. The national chairperson has also asked to make arrangements to rehabilitate the students at their residences or at other suitable facilities.