No compensation for boy 'sold' by dad

SURI/MALDA: Twelve-year-old Ashraful Haque had a miraculous escape in the Sainthia train accident. He was seriously injured but he managed to escape from the clutches of Sagir Ali, an elderly, blind man accompanying him. A professional beggar from Ranchi, Ali was involved in trafficking. He was taking Ashraful to beg on the streets of Ranchi and earn a neat sum.
According to police, Ali is allegedly the kingpin of a begging racket in Ranchi.Ashraful said his father Imtiaz Ali had handed him over to Ali so that he could earn by begging. District administration suspects Imtiaz sold Ashraful to Ali. Imtiaz did not respond to calls made to a cellphone number provided by Ashraful. When district officials dialled the number, Imtiaz did not take the call.
Sri Satya Sai Seva Dal, an NGO providing relief to accident victims, checked Imtiaz's anticidents from their colleagues in Malda. It was discovered that he too has a history of trafficking. The police though is unwilling to act unless a complaint is filed. "We have too much on our hands to take up this case now. We will look into it later," Suri IC Swapan Banerjee said.
District officials said they would send Ashraful to a juvenile home in Malda where he can stay till his family members are traced. While the state health department will bear his medical expenses, the Railways is unlikely to hand him the compensation amount of Rs 1,00,000 as he is a minor.