8 lads brought home from Kerala
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 16 2011:
Eight boys from the State who were taken to Kerala on false promises have been brought back to Manipur by Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Imphal East.
After convincing their parents with the false promise of giving free Islamic religious education as well as accommodation facilities, two Muslim men took the eight boys to Kerala in February this year.
CWC Imphal East Member Secretary K Pradipkumar identified the child traffickers as Sahib Ahmad (25) s/o Nazir Khan and Rahiz Khan (23) s/o Iboyai, both belonging to Khabeisoi Sabal Leikai in Imphal East district.
The eight boys whom the duo took to Kerala are in the age group of 6-10 years and they belong to
Khabeisoi and Heikrumakhong.
They took the children on the pretext of giving them Islamic religious education free of cost at Khadeejat-Ul-Kubra-Isla-his, an institute reportedly run by a Muslim religious body at Nettor, Kerala.
The children and the two youth left Imphal on February 23 this year.
They reached Kerala on February 27 .
The children were made to alight from a train at Aluva railway station where they were found by functionaries of a children home named Jan Seva Shishu Bhavan.
The children were housed in Jan Seva Shishu Bhavan and its functionaries filed an FIR at the local police station against the two youths who brought the children.
Subsequently, Ernakulam District Police chief informed the matter to the State Additional DGP (Intelligence) .
The information was further conveyed to Social Welfare Department.
Then, a team of CWC Imphal East went to Kerala and brought the children to Manipur on September 13 and 14 in two batches.
On reaching Kerala, the CWC team faced an unexpected problem as a case was found pending about who should be the custodian of the children.
Following a ruling from the High Court, the CWC team brought back the children to Manipur, said Pradipkumar.
Though the children were given food and accommodation at the children, they were not given any formal education.
The children were used in domestic works like sweeping, cleansing utensils etc.
Sometimes a trainer would come there and teach the children Malayalam.
In addition to lack of medical facilities, the children also faced social discrimination as the children home was for Hindus, said Pradipkumar as conveyed by the rescued children.
Stating that there is Supreme Court which prohibits taking children under 12 years of age from one State to another, the CWC member secretary observed that the children were victims of illegal trafficking.
The rescued children were handed over to their respective parents today.
On the other hand, Social Welfare Department has launched investigation into the yesterday's incident eight children running away from Lei Ingkhol Children Home, informed Probation Officer K Saroja.
CWC Imphal East has also taken into their custody all the 17 children who were staying in Lei Ingkhol Children Home.