19 boys rescued from Ranchi airport; man taking them to Jammu arrested

Anand Prakash Singh, the in-charge of the Ranchi airport police station, said they arrested one Raju Ganjhu for the alleged trafficking

Published on: Jun 24, 2021, 17:46:49 IST

By Vishal Kant

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As many as 19 boys allegedly being trafficked were rescued from the Ranchi airport when they were brought there to board a Jammu-bound flight on Thursday, a police officer said.

Anand Prakash Singh, the in-charge of the Ranchi airport police station, said they arrested one Raju Ganjhu for the alleged trafficking. “Raju Ganjhu as well as the rescued boys are from Latehar district. Raju has been arrested and a case has been filed with the anti-trafficking police station. All of them (boys) are minors in the age group of 14-16. They have been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee which would coordinate with the concerned authorities and take further action,” said Singh.

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He said the kind of dresses the boys were wearing, and their body language raised suspicion. “When they were quizzed about their age and other relevant information, they claimed they were adults when they clearly appeared to be minors. The person taking them along also could not give the right information.”

Trafficking of tribal children is rampant in Jharkhand. The children are often lured with promises of better job opportunities in other states.

Police said they are verifying Ganjhu’s background to know whether he has been involved in trafficking earlier too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishal Kant
Stationed in Ranchi, Vishal is heading the Jharkhand Bureau of Hindustan Times since November 2017. Besides leading the reporting team, Vishal tracks and writes on developments related to the state politics, economy and policy matters in Jharkhand. Prior to his current assignment, Vishal used to work in New Delhi after graduating from the University of Delhi. Vishal joined HT in the rank of Assistant Editor in August 2015 and was part of the Delhi Metro Bureau, covering a host of issues in the City-state including politics, policy---especially those related to urban traffic & transport infrastructure and railways. A native of Palamu district in Jharkhand, Vishal started his two-decade long career in the mainstream media in 2006. During this period, he has has worked in different capacity with a number of national media houses including the Financial Chronicle, India Today, Deccan Herald and The Hindu, before moving to the Hindustan Times. He holds the experience of having worked in three major mediums of mass communication--Print, Electronic and Digital. He is a proud father of two daughters.Read More

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