Maharashtra: 59 children rescued on Bihar-Pune train; five held

These children were rescued from Danapur-Pune Special express train at Bhusawal and Manmad, located in Jalgaon and Nashik districts, respectively, in Maharashtra, the RPF said

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Central Railway and the Maharashtra police on Wednesday rescued 59 children from alleged human traffickers by conducting an operation on a Bihar-Pune train, and arrested five accused, officials told the PTI on Saturday.

These children were rescued from Danapur-Pune Special express train at Bhusawal and Manmad, located in Jalgaon and Nashik districts, respectively, in Maharashtra, they said.

"On the basis of reliable information, the RPF along with the local police and members of an NGO rushed to the spot and conducted a check at the Bhusawal station. A total of 29 children aged between eight and 15 years were rescued. Later, another 30 children in the same age group were rescued from the train at Manmad. Five persons were arrested on the charge of human trafficking," an RPF official told the PTI.

The exercise was carried out under 'Operation AAHT', he said.

As per the preliminary information, these children were being brought from Bihar and sent to Sangli, the official said, adding that the five accused were booked under the anti-human trafficking laws.

The accused were produced in a court, he said.

In a tweet, the RPF said, "PRAYAS with state police came together to bust a child trafficking ring, leading to the rescue of 59 children with arrest of 5 traffickers at Bhusawal and Manmad stations. A powerful collaboration making a tangible difference in the fight against exploitation."

Meanwhile, in an another operation last week, The police rescued a 17-year-old girl who went missing from her home in Maharashtra's Latur district more than a year ago, an official had earlier said.

The teen, who was reported missing from Nilanga in December, 2021, was traced to a village in Parbhani district, the official said.

The local police and the anti-human trafficking cell (AHTC) had been searching for the girl since last year after a case of kidnapping was registered, he said.

With the help of the police's cyber cell, the missing teen was traced to Parbhani and has been handed over to Nilanga police, he said.

According to the police, the girl had eloped with a relative and got married, and has also given birth to a child.

(with PTI inputs)

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