RUKUM: A Nepali girl who was living with her mother in a prison in India for five years has been rescued.

The District Child Welfare Board rescued 6-year-old Karishma BK of Aathbiskot Municipality-1 of the district. The girl has been brought back to Nepal by the efforts of the Board.

Her mother Anita Kami had been taken into police custody in India five years ago on charge of being involved in drug peddling. As per the decision of the Indian court, Kami has yet to serve two more years of sentence in the jail.

She had gone out of contact with her family after being sent to the jail. Kami’s husband had also passed away one year ago.

She had no idea of her husband’s passing, informed Manbir Oli, child rights officer at the Board who had gone to India to rescue the girl.

The information about the girl was communicated to the Board by an organisation working in the sector of child welfare in India. The girl was living in difficult circumstance and the government of India indicated that children over 6 years of age could not be kept inside the jail. This prompted the Board to go and rescue the child.

Karishma is currently living and being educated in Early Childhood Development Centre in Kathmandu, founded by Pushpa Basnet, according to Oli.

(with inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)