Trafficked for labour? 163 kids rescued from train

Jabalpur: As many as 163 children, belonging to a minority community, were rescued from the Patna-Pune Express at Katni railway station late Saturday night, with police suspecting a case of human trafficking linked to possible labour or other illegal activities. A case has been registered against eight persons, including Saddam Hussain and Amanullah, under relevant provisions, and all the accused have been arrested, police said.Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and officials from the women and child development department cordoned-off sleeper coaches S1 to S4 and S7 of the train when it arrived at platform No. 5. The children, most of them from Bihar, were found travelling under suspicious circumstances and were deboarded for verification.Police said 80 children were shifted to a shelter home in Jabalpur, while 83 were accommodated at a facility in Katni. Authorities have arranged food, medical examinations, and counselling for them. During questioning, those accompanying the children claimed they were being taken to Maharashtra for studies, but officials found no proper documentation or valid tickets to support the claim.Investigators suspect the children may have been trafficked for labour or other unlawful purposes. Further inquiry is underway to verify their identities and uncover the network involved, police added.