Traffickers used three Bihar rly stations to transport children

Ludhiana: A day after the Railway Protection Force rescued 15 minor children from Karmabhoomi Express (running from Samastipur to Amritsar) and arrested 12 human traffickers, it has come out that the accused were using three major railway stations of Bihar — Katihar, Purnia and Kishanganj — to transport minors to various places in Punjab.

Investigations have also revealed that human traffickers were planning to leave the train at Ludhiana railway station in different batches to escape the police.

Company commander of RPF, Ludhiana, Anil Kumar said, “After getting intelligence inputs from the northern railways headquarters and Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) members, a team was constituted. Three officials went inside three different coaches of the train when it arrived at Ambala station to find out the number of minors being taken for child labour. During conversation with children, it came to light that the human traffickers had trained them to inform co-passengers that they were travelling with their family members to Punjab for better education and career prospects.”

He said, “Within minutes, police officials identified some children who looked unhappy and nervous. After much persuasion, they opened up and said they were being taken to Ludhiana and other cities.”

Senior divisional security commissioner, Ashish Kumar, said, “All of them were between 12 and 17 years old and were trafficked from their hometowns without any payment to work at stitching and embroidery units, brick kilns and at construction sites. We have given directions to local officials of Ludhiana railway station to increase the number of escort personnel in all major trains coming from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to ensure safety of minors.”

Station house officer of Government Railway Police Balbir Singh Ghuman said, “Members of Ludhiana railway station childline produced the rescued minor children before the district child welfare committee here on Friday and are now trying to trace their parents. It is not clear if the arrested traffickers had bought children from the underprivileged by luring them with cash.”


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