58 children rescued

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 31: Government Railway Police personnel rescued 58 children, aged between 6 to 11 years, from the 3164 Hat-e-Bazaar-e Express train at Ajimganj Railway Station in Murshidabad district early this morning. The rescued children were allegedly being trafficked to Kerala.The RPF suspect that the children may have been swayed to travel by traffickers in human organs, which makes the interception serious.Noticing the children travelling in the train and suspecting it to be a matter of child trafficking, the Malda RPF officials brought it to the notice of their Howrah counterpart following which, GRP personnel intercepted the children at the Ajimganj station. It was found that the children were travelling with valid tickets along with a group of 19 persons. They were bound for Howrah to catch another train to reach Kerala. The GRP officials later confirmed that 56 of the rescued children are from Katihar district in Bihar and two are from Harishchandrapur in Malda.The officer-in-charge of Ajimganj GRP, Mr Syed Rejaul Kabir, said the children were travelling with their guardians.“Although the parents of the rescued children have claimed that they were taking the children to Kerala for admission in Madrassas, the possibility of child trafficking cannot be ruled out,” Mr Kabir, said. He said the matter had been brought to the notice of senior police officials at Katihar and Harishchandrapur. “We are also in touch with the CID officials,” Mr Kabir, added.It was learnt that based on a specific information, Malda GRP personnel intercepted a Kerala resident, Mohd Iqbal, at the Malda Railway Station when the 3164 Hat-e-Bazaar-e Express train was about to leave the station this morning.Later, Iqbal was produced in the Malda court. Police officials suspect that Iqbal was trafficking the children to Kerala.Mr Rakesh Mishra, inspector of Malda RPF, said: “Mohd Iqbal is probably a trader of human organs. We intercepted him after he got down from the train at Malda Railway Station this morning.” #

Child labourers

MALDA, May 31: Six child labourers, rescued by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at the Malda town station last night, would be handed over to their family members soon, police said today.The I-C of Malda town station GRP, Mr Swapan Das Gupta, said the children were returning from Bihar last night when the RPF personnel intercepted them. The rescued children are the residents of Bibigram in Malda's Kaliachak police station area. Mr Gupta said one Garman Sheikh of Kaliachak was also travelling with the children. Sheikh, however, was looted by a group of criminals in front of the Malda town station, Mr Gupta, added. The rescued children were handed over to the police today.SNS

Pic: Aayesha