Trafficking racket: Police rescue about 21 children

Kolkata: Kolkata Police, on Monday morning, rescued as many as 21 children from near Babughat bus terminus who were being trafficked from Bihar in order to engage them as child labourers.

According to police, on Sunday night members of a Delhi based NGO got in touch with the Kolkata Police informing them about several children being trafficked from Samastipur to Kolkata in a bus.

Acting on the information, police chalked out a plan and started keeping a tab on the Strand Road throughout the night.

Around 5:30 am on Monday, cops spotted the bus bearing registration of Bihar on Strand Road near Babughat bus terminus. Immediately the bus was intercepted and cops found 21 children and three persons inside it including the driver.

Later, the State Coordinator of the said NGO lodged a complaint against the accused person identified as Md. Ayshan, Md. Afjal, and Md Chand. Later they were arrested.

Preliminary investigation revealed that all the minor boys are from Samastipur. Their parents were lured into the trap by promising jobs and food for the minors along with money. It is suspected that an interstate child trafficking racket is involved in the whole process. Police are interrogating the trio to find out who else is connected with the racket.