Parents of Bihar kids 'rescued' in MP on child labour suspicion say 'case fabricated'

Parents of Bihar kids 'rescued' in MP on child labour suspicion say 'case fabricated'

Araria , Weeks after 163 minors from Bihar were rescued in Madhya Pradesh's Katni on suspicion of being trafficked for "child labour", their parents have claimed the children were travelling to madrassas in Maharashtra and Karnataka with their teachers.

Parents of Bihar kids 'rescued' in MP on child labour suspicion say 'case fabricated'

One of the parents alleged that the children were targeted because of their faith.

Acting on a tip-off, the Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police on April 11 detained the children and arrested eight people, who officials said were travelling on the Patna-Purna Express without valid tickets and documents.

The GRP have registered a case under BNS section 143 against the eight accused.

After spending two weeks in shelter homes in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur and Katni, the children were handed over to their parents on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference in Araria on Monday, a group of parents termed the case "fabricated" and demanded a fair probe into the matter and compensation for the children and those arrested.

They also demanded that a standard operating procedure be framed to deal with such cases.

"The children were travelling voluntarily to study in three madrassas in Maharashtra and Karnataka, accompanied by teachers. They had valid train tickets, documents, and parental consent letters," the parents said.

"There was no concrete evidence with the administration to justify the suspicion. Without the help from local organisations, securing the children's release would have taken longer," Shaukat, an aggrieved parent, said. "The incident has severely impacted the children's education."

Bibi Anjuman of Kundlipur village in Araria said that her three grandchildren study in a madrassa in Karnataka's Bidar as they get food, lodging, and proper education facilities there. "Similar arrangements should be provided in Araria as well," she demanded.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, Qazi Atiqullah of Imarat-e-Sharia said, "It is unfortunate that the administration has neither expressed regret nor withdrawn the case."

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