On a Human Trafficking Tip, 30 Children deboarded from a Bihar-bound Train; Parents of 18 Missing
PRAYAGRAJ– Acting on a tip-off about human trafficking, the RPF (Railway Protection Force), along with the GRP (Government Railway Police), intercepted the Seemanchal Express (Train No. 12487), traveling from Jogbani, Bihar, to Anand Vihar Terminal, on Friday. The authorities removed 30 children from the train for further investigation.
Of these 30, 18 minors had no accompanying parents or guardians on board. Childline authorities presented these children before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) court, which directed their placement in a child care home .
The remaining 12 children, who were accompanied by their parents, underwent questioning and a document verification process; they were then reunited with their families.
Divya Prakash Shukla, Program Manager at Aastha Mahila Evam Bal Vikas Sansthan based in Mirzapur, revealed that their team had received an alert regarding children being taken from Bihar to Ludhiana under suspicious circumstances, amounting to human trafficking.
As the Seemanchal Express reached Prayagraj, authorities from Childline, GRP, and RPF conducted the operation at Platform No. 3 and alighted the children from the general coach. All minors were subjected to counseling—many claimed they were merely heading to a madrassa for studies.
Some of the children were reportedly traveling with relatives working along the route. Notably, among the group were three children from Nepal who informed investigators that they were en route to stay with relatives.
One girl was found traveling unaccompanied—without either parent present. SP-GRP Prashant Verma stated that the matter is now under legal scrutiny, and formal action will be taken following orders from the CWC court.rt
Earlier Incident This Week:
Just three days prior, on the preceding Tuesday, authorities had similarly removed 15 children from the Seemanchal Express.
Of those, 10 minors were placed in a child care home under CWC directives. Although parents from various districts in Bihar had traveled to the location, by Tuesday evening, only three were able to submit sufficient birth certificates.
Consequently, those three minors were handed over to their rightful families. For the rest, the GRP filed a case and transferred the investigation to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU)
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