Rourkela: In a joint operation by the Railway Police and Railway Protection Force, 14 persons including 10 minor girls were rescued from Tata Alleppey Express while being trafficked to Tamil Nadu.
According to sources, the minors hailing from Manoharpur and Chakradharpur areas near Odisha-Jharkhand border were being taken by an agent on the pretext of providing them employment in the south Indian state.
Acting on a tip-off, police reached the railway station and rescued the victims.
"10 minor girls and 4 adult labourers were being taken to Tamil Nadu. Along with Childline and Railway Police, we reached the spot and rescued all of them,” Officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police, Simone Lakra said.
On the other hand, 17 minor boys and 3 minor girls, who were being taken to Jammu & Kashmir from Sundergarh's Lathikata and Keblang areas, were rescued by Rourkela Police and the Labour Department.