Odisha police rescue over 5,400 missing people under 10-day drive

Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Wednesday said that a 10-day statewide special drive led to the rescue of 5,451 missing people, including women and children. Most of them were found working in exploitative conditions, particularly in brick kilns and eateries, police said.“We launched the drive under the banner of Operation Anweshan-2. The rescued women and children have been reunited with their families. Safety of women and children is a priority area for Odisha police. The drive will be intensified,” said DGP Y B Khurania.Puri police rescued the highest of 613 people, followed by Cuttack with 501. Other districts also reported significant achievements, including Bhadrak police with 429 rescues, Ganjam with 413, Kendrapada with 346, Jajpur with 271 and Bargarh with 236. The rescued children are aged between 12 and 17 years. Bhubaneswar police rescued 35 individuals, while Cuttack city cops rescued 134. The operation was coordinated across the state by the Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAWCW).Police sources said that several rescued women and children had been placed in shelter homes both within and outside Odisha after being located in other states. Many remained there due to inadequate efforts to facilitate their return. Officers also found individuals engaged in forced labour in houses, shops and commercial units, while some girls had left home due to personal issues and were living in undisclosed locations.According to official figures, 1,567 children and 8,726 women were rescued under the Anweshan-1 drive last year.Child rights activist Sushama Kumari stressed the need for such drives to be conducted regularly and urged investigating officers to strictly follow Supreme Court and Odisha crime branch guidelines on missing children. “The rescued women and children must not be allowed to return to exploitative conditions, whether voluntarily or under coercion. They need to be counselled, rehabilitated, and provided with livelihood opportunities,” she said.