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

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

Weeks after 163 minors from Bihar were rescued in Madhya Pradesh's Katni following suspicion of being trafficked for ''child labour'', their parents have claimed the children were travelling to madrassas in Maharashtra and Karnataka with their teachers. One of the parents alleged that the children were targeted because of their faith. Acting on a tip-off, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) 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(4) (trafficking of a child below the age of 18 years) against the eight accused. RPF (Katni) Inspector Virendra Singh had said initial investigations suggested that the boys were being taken to Latur to work as labourers. 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. Officials in Araria refused to comment on the issue. The parents 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,'' one of 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 said. Qazi Atiqullah of Imarat-e-Sharia said, ''It is unfortunate that the administration has neither expressed regret nor withdrawn the case.''