Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 10:
The four girls rescued at the Airport yesterday were handed over to their families after producing them before the Duty Magistrate by Singjamei police today, sources said.
The four minors identified as Munu Begum (11), Thoibi Begum (11), Laila Begum (14) and Rahama (11) had shifted to Golapati from other places along with their parents.
One of the four persons arrested for trying to take the girls, Kuldip Kaur has been freed on bail on health grounds.
The three others Saran Pal, Surjit Singh and former students of RIMS Dr Harbhajan all hailing from Chandigarh have been remanded to police custody.
Meanwhile, the Ching-Tam Social Workers Union, Irilbung has strongly flayed the attempt of some persons to take away four Muslim girls to Chandigarh.
In a statement, the union has appealed to the State authorities to take up steps for checking such incidents saying yesterday's event occurred when the world is celebrating women�s empowerment year.
Citing the possibility that incidents of illegal child trafficking like yesterday's could happen anytime in future, All India Trade Union Congress secretary Amarjit Kaur today appealed for a concerted effort to eradicate child labour.
Amarjit Kaur was speaking as the president during the opening of the three day workshop on child labour being organized by the All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur State Committee at Hotel Excellency today.
Labour Commissioner L Gangte was the chief guest of the function.
Terming yesterday's incident in which some persons tried to take away four Muslim girls to Chandigarh as very unfortunate, the secretary said cases of child labour could happen to any community and it should be checked before it spreads further.
All sections of the people including NGOs, administrative and non-administrative people need to make a concerted effort to check the menace, she said adding the rights of the child should be ensured at any cost.
Narrating that there has been instances where children were forced to do manual labour under obscure conditions in factories, she said that such cases cannot be ruled out in Manipur also.
Kaur said it was found that half of a group of sex workers found during a raid in a brothel in Mumbai recently were girls under the age of 12.