Operation Muskaan: Mumbai Police traced 128 missing children

In the 10th operation in July, 105 girls and 23 boys were traced. Of them, eight children were found to be engaged as child labourers.

The Mumbai Police last month traced 128 missing children under the special drive Operation Muskaan. During the drive, which started in 2014, the Mumbai Police put in extra efforts to trace missing children under the age of 14 years.

Police officers said most of the children found were involved in the begging racket . (HT FILE)

In the 10th operation in July, 105 girls and 23 boys were traced. Of them, eight children were found to be engaged as child labourers.

After tracing the children with the help of child welfare committee and non-government organisations, the police also helped in reuniting the children with their families or arranging their rehabilitation at children’s homes. Police officers said most of the children found were involved in the begging racket or wandering aimlessly on roads and railway stations.

A special month-long drive was conducted from July 1 to July 31 during which the police force put in rigorous efforts to track down missing children. Officers said a majority of the cases are of runaway children due to family harassment or fights.

Apart from Mumbai Police, Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued 477 children from railway platforms at stations on Central Railway in the past seven months across Maharashtra and reunited them with their parents. RPF officers said these include 310 boys and 167 girls.

Anil Kumar Lahoti, general manager of Central Railway, said the railways play its role of social responsibility by connecting with the runaway children, understanding their problems and counselling them to go with their family. “We appreciate RPF and frontline staff who play an important role by identifying such cases with their innate sense and taking immediate action as a counsellor,” said Lahoti.