Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 30 2009:
Out of the 25 children who were rescued by Kolkata police while they were being taken to Andhra Pradesh, 22 of them have flown back to Imphal today.
The children were intercepted by Kolkata police on June 17 while they were being taken to Andhra Pradesh and were subsequently taken in after the three alleged Pastors failed to produce the required documents.
Following an order from the Court the children were allowed to be taken back to their native village at Kaibi in Senapati district, informed LS Salony of the Child Welfare Committee, Senapati.
The parents of three children who went to Kolkata have already taken their children back with them and they are expected to come to Imphal soon, said Salony who arrived here with the 22 children said.
"We will hand over the children to the respective parents/guardians after verification and counselling," he said and added that they have begun examining many people who have come forward to claim the children.
Salony said that the children are presently being kept at a special home run by the Manipur North Economic Development Association, an NGO at Senapati district headquarters.
Initial probes conducted by Senapati police have established that the parents gave their consent for the children to be taken outside the State for their education.
In 2008, over 50 children from Manipur who where taken outside the State were rescued from different parts of South India by child line activists and Government authorities.
All the rescued children belonged to impoverished families and they were taken with the promises that they would be educated.