Rourkela: As many as 11 minor children including nine girls hailing from Katihar area of Bihar were rescued by the Government Railway Police (GRP) from Howrah-Mumbai Gitanjali Express at Rourkela railway station today. Acting on a tip-off, Rourkela GRP personnel and Childline officials conducted a joint raid on the train and rescued the minors who were allegedly being trafficked to Mumbai.
Two middlemen have been detained for their alleged involvement in child trafficking. During interrogation, the two detainees revealed that the children were being taken to a madrasa in Mumbai for studies. However, they failed to produce any valid document.
Following their rescue, the children have been shifted to a short-stay home. Railway SP Arya Prakash Swain is reportedly inquiring into the alleged child trafficking.
It is pertinent to mention that human trafficking is rampant in tribal-dominated districts of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.