Kolkata: Four minor boys were rescued from a suspected human trafficking attempt at Howrah Railway Station on June 12 by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Howrah South. Two men suspected to be traffickers were also apprehended during the intervention.
The rescue was carried out during a special vigilance drive at the station’s new complex (South Side), led by Sub-Inspector Sonu Kumar of RPF Post/Howrah South, in collaboration with NGO members, as part of World Day Against Child Labour activities.
According to officials, the minors, three aged 16 and one aged 17, were found sitting in suspicious circumstances with two adults on Platform No. 21. On questioning, the adults were identified as Saurav Majhi (20), of East Burdwan, and Riyaz Sekh (20), of Murshidabad.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the boys had been brought from rural areas of Bengal and were being taken to cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru to be employed as child labourers. The minors reportedly admitted this during questioning. The two accused were taken into custody and both they and the rescued minors were handed over to the Government Railway Police Station, Howrah. A case has been registered under Section 143(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 14 of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.
Eastern Railway officials stated that the RPF continues to maintain heightened vigilance, conduct regular patrolling and coordinate with social organisations to prevent such incidents.