Ludhiana: ‘None of 18 children rescued found to be trafficking victims’

Sixteen of the rescued children have already been returned to the adults accompanying them after their parentage was verified

None of the 18 children rescued from begging in July last year under Project Jeevanjyot 2.0 have been found to be victims of child trafficking, officials from the district child protection unit said.

Project Jeevanjyot 2.0 was launched with the stated objective of combating child trafficking and exploitation. (HT Photo)

Sixteen of the rescued children have already been returned to the adults accompanying them after their parentage was verified. The remaining two—a 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy—remain in the custody of the Child Welfare Committee, as their guardians have refused to take them in. The boy’s guardian, his elder brother, is reportedly a drug addict, while the girl’s maternal grandmother has also declined custody, according to district child protection officer Rashmi. Six of the children, along with the accompanying adults at the time of the rescue on July 20, underwent DNA testing to confirm their relationships. The others had documents verifying their parentage.

Project Jeevanjyot 2.0 was launched with the stated objective of combating child trafficking and exploitation. As per the draft guidelines, if accompanying adults are confirmed as the parents of the rescued children, the child shall be restored to the family. Authorities shall issue a warning to the family against involving the child in begging. The DCPO shall provide counselling to the family to ensure school enrolment and awareness them on the ill effects of begging.