Eight smugglers arrested in case of trafficking of Muslim children through Patna-Pune Express

Harvest. 165 Muslim children were rescued from Patna-Pune Express late Saturday night at Katni railway station in Madhya Pradesh. They were being taken from Araria in Bihar to Maharashtra under suspicious circumstances. In this case, the police have arrested eight people including Saddam Hussain and Amanullah and registered a case against them under child trafficking (section 143 of BNS).

Out of the 165 rescued children, 84 were sent to the children’s home in Jabalpur in the night in two buses, while 81 children have been kept in the children’s home in Katni. The district administration is making arrangements for food and health of all the children. Everyone’s medical has been done.

In fact, late on Saturday night, the Women and Child Development Department and the RPF received information from a social organization that a large number of children aged 7 to 15 years were being taken to Maharashtra by Patna-Pune train and there was a possibility of human trafficking. Seeing the seriousness of the matter, officers, employees of Railway Protection Force, GRPF, Women and Child Development Department and child protection officers reached the spot. As soon as the train reached platform number 5 of Katni station at night, a team of police, women and child development department and child protection officers surrounded the bogies and took all 165 children down safely and took them under their surveillance. After this all the children were counseled.

Katni RPF police station in-charge Virendra Singh said on Sunday that information was received that a large number of children were being taken under suspicious circumstances in the Patna-Pune Express. As soon as the train reached platform number three of Katni station, a joint team of RPF, GRP, Women and Child Development Department and Child Protection officers surrounded it. After this the team brought down all the 167 children safely from the bogies. The rescued children were traveling in S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4 and S-7 coaches of the train. Inquiry has revealed that most of the children are residents of Bihar.

RPF station in-charge said that a person named Saddam, who was present with the children, told that he was taking these children from Araria in Bihar to Madrasa in Latur, Maharashtra. There is a group of 100 children with him, while the remaining children were being taken by other people. Saddam, who claims to be a teacher of Latur Madrasa, claims that he has been taking children there for 10 years. Every subject is taught in his madrassa. The administration investigated the truth and legal documents of the case. After a day-long investigation, the police registered a case of child trafficking against eight people including Saddam Hussein and Amanullah and arrested all of them.

Child Protection Officer Manish Tiwari said that most of the children taken off the train belonged to the Muslim community. The department had received information about these children being taken to Maharashtra and made to do labor or other illegal work. Considering the seriousness of the matter, all the children were taken to RPF police station, where they were counselled. The children were not found to have valid documents and confirmed tickets related to the journey, due to which the matter became suspicious.