31 children rescued

IMPHAL, Jun 23: Altogether 31 children––15 boys and 16 girls, have been rescued minutes before the were taken to Noida, Uttar Pradesh by a joint team of Child Welfare Committee, Child Line and Anti-Trafficking Squad of Social Welfare Department. Acting on information shared by Imphal East District Police, the joint team went to North AOC yesterday and found all the 31 children seated inside an inter-State bus (MN-01/1515). One Lucy Niang of Sugnu, Thoubal district was arranging to take the children to Father Agnel Bal Bhavan at Greater Noida, UP. Speaking to media persons at Takyelpat Children Home today, CWC Thoubal Chairperson Mala Lisham quoted Lucy Niang as saying that all the children aged between 5 and 17 years were studying at Greater Noida and they were being taken to their place of learning as their vacation period is over. But Lucy Niang could not produce relevant documents whereas some of the children need care and protection under the Juvenile Justice Act. Moreover, there is an order of the Supreme Court which prohibits one from taking children below 12 years across States even if it is for schooling. In view of all these factors, a report was filed at Imphal police station following which Lucy Niang was arrested yesterday itself. Travel fares as well as educational expenses of the children were borne by the Noida children home, Mala said as claimed by Lucy. Taking serious note of the incident, CWCs held a meeting yesterday and decided to keep orphaned children in Government run children homes and return other children to their parents or relatives in accordance with their desire. It was also agreed not to allow anybody take the children to another location until further order or until an enquiry is completed so as to avoid exploitation of the children, Mala said. She said that necessary communications are being made with their Noida counterparts to ascertain details of the children home where the rescued children were purportedly learning. Apart from Uttar Pradesh being a State where the rate of crime against children is highest, Noida is notorious for rackets which deal in illegal organ transplantation, she added. [The Sangai Express | 24-Jun-2013]

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