28 rescued children flown to Leh to hand them over to parents

According to the police, members of 'Sunehara Kal' had held captive the children, including four girls, for religious conversion.

Six members of the NGO, including its chairman Vikas Sharma, were arrested after the police conducted a raid at a hostel rented at Dograhall area here on Saturday.

"All The 24 boys and four girls besides a social welfare officer were flown to Leh today. They will be handed over to their families there", a police official told PTI.

Three persons connected with the NGO are yet to be arrested. Some members of the NGO were also involved earlier in conversions for which a case had been registered against them, police said.

According to police, the members of the NGO went to Leh to distribute aid to the victims of the cloudburst. They forcibly brought the children here about a fortnight ago with a view to convert them.

Those children who lost their parents in the cloud burst would be handed over to the Ladakh Buddhist Association which will take care of them in Leh, they said.

The children will also be given scholarships and other benefits by the government, they added.