Bhubaneswar: 12 children, including ten minors, were rescued from a suspected child trafficking attempt during a late-night raid on train number 15228/Muzaffarpur–SMVT Bengaluru Express at Khurda Road Railway Station. The children, all hailing from different districts of Bihar were allegedly being trafficked to Bengaluru for forced labour.
According to reports, the operation was triggered by a tip-off received by Benudhar Senapati, Executive Officer of Ruchika Social Service Organisation. Upon receiving the information, a dedicated team from Ruchika’s Access to Justice Project, including Hemant Kumar Das, Harapriya Pati, Tatini Biswal, Ghana Shyam Bhoi, and Ajay Kumar Maharana, stationed themselves at Bhubaneswar Railway Station last night in anticipation.
Despite the train’s brief five-minute halt at the station, the team, in coordination with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Railway Childline, acted swiftly. Realizing the time constraint, they boarded the train and travelled up to Khurda Road Station, searching coaches S-1, S-4, and S-6. Their efforts resulted in the successful rescue of 12 children.
Initial investigations revealed that 10 of the children were below 18 years of age, while two were adults. The minors hailed from various districts of Bihar, including Khagaria (2), Begusarai (2), Bhagalpur (2), Purulia (2), Muzaffarpur (1), and Samastipur (1).
Following the rescue, the Khurda District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) took immediate custody of the children. The CWC sent 4 children to Bhairabi Open Shelter in Khurda and 6 to Ruchika Open Shelter for care and rehabilitation.
A case has been officially registered at the GRP Police Station, Khurda Road, based on the CWC’s instructions. Among the four identified traffickers — Manish Kumar (Khagaria), Mohammad Shubham (Motihari), Dilkhush (Bhagalpur), and Ankit Sada (Begusarai) — only Manish Kumar has been apprehended by the police so far.
The incident has been formally reported to the District Collector and the Child Protection Officer. Investigations are ongoing to dismantle the trafficking network and prevent further such incidents.
