(Wikimedia Commons/Sirpraveenramaraju)Street children in Hyderabad, India

An Indian pastor identified as Mallipeddi James was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 18, for forcing to beg on the streets of Hyderabad, India. James ran the Brahmaputra Orphanage in Ameenpur village in Telangana, promising to provide better education for children.

According to a report from The Indian Express, James deployed at least four children to different locations within the limits of the Gachibowli Police Station to ask for donations for the orphanage. A police team raided the orphanage and found 20 children, all below 14 years old.

"Some of them were orphans, while others had parents who could not afford to send their wards to school," Gachibowli Police Station Sub-Inspector Ch Venkatesh said to The Indian Express. James has been charged for violating the Juvenile Justice Act.

The children were transferred temporarily to the orphanage of Mahima Ministries then were moved to the Rangareddy District Welfare Homes, according to The New Indian Express.

A parent identified as Sharada stated in the same report that James did not mention to her that his facility was an orphanage. "He said to us this was a hostel. He gave us written assurance on paper that they will provide my children with good school and facilities. They didn't take any money from us either," said Sharada.

Sharada's children were reportedly beaten by James and were instructed not to tell anyone that they had parents. Sharada's niece was also one of the children that was rescued at the orphanage.

A report from Reuters India revealed that James' orphanage was unregistered. "The orphanage was illegal and had no licence to run," said S.B. Balaraju of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR). The SCPCR issued a notice to the Medak district collector and magistrate demanding an explanation for how the orphanage was allowed to run without a license.