Police bust child trafficking gang, rescue 15 children

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Members of NGO HELP, District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) and the District Child Welfare Committee with the rescued children who were being transported from Bihar to Erode in Tamil Nadu for various kinds of work, at Ambedkar Bhavan in Ongole on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: KOMMURI SRINIVAS

Fifteen children from Bihar were reportedly rescued by Prakasam District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) at Ongole railway station while travelling in Jogbani-Erode Amrit Bharat Express (16602) on Tuesday evening. The police arrested a child trafficking gang of 12 members who were allegedly involved in exploiting the children to work as daily labourers at various factories in Tamil Nadu.

The rescue operation was carried out through the joint efforts of Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials, along with voluntary organisations – HELP (Helping Entire Lower and rural People), SARDS (Social Activities For Rural Development Society), Association for Voluntary Action (AVA), and Society for Integrated Rural Development (SFIRD).

Speaking to The Hindu, HELP Foundation project director B.V. Sagar said, “Upon receiving the information, SARDS immediately coordinated with Ongole RPF Inspector Kondaiah, District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) P. Dinesh Kumar, CWC member Neelima, and other child protection stakeholders to carry out a rescue plan.”

“With support from AVA Andhra Pradesh, SFIRD, RPF, GRP, DCPU, CWC and the SARDS teams, we assisted in identifying and tracking the children. The teams successfully rescued the children at Ongole railway station. Later, HELP and other stakeholders supported for the immediate care, protection and safe accommodation arrangements for the rescued children,” he added.

On the orders of District Collector P. Raja Babu, the children were presented before District Joint Collector Kalpana Kumari, who further directed the police officials to take strict legal action against those illegally transporting the children. She also instructe