3 trafficked children,rescued at city rail station

Alert Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel on Tuesday rescued three minors, including a girl, from the city railway station.

They had escaped from bonded labour and come to KSR Station at Majestic, looking for trains to head back home.

RPF personnel rescued two 14-year-old boys and the 15-year-old girl in two separate instances. They found the children depressed, tired and suspiciously moving around.

As exam results have been declared, the RPF is keeping a close watch on unaccompanied, depressed and lone children at the railway station, to identify runaways.

The RPF team, supervised by divisional security commissioner Debasmitha, spotted the boys and the girl, fitting the above description. The team befriended the children and provided them food and water, eventually winning their confidence as they opened up.

Trafficked from UP

The team learnt the two boys were employed at a battery factory in Yeshwantpur and were trafficked to the city from southern Uttar Pradesh around a year and eight months ago.

The boys told the police that one of their cousins had escaped the battery factory just 20 days ago and they hope he’s reached home.

Meanwhile, the same team spotted the depressed and weary looking 15-year-old girl. They chatted her up offering food and water. She then narrated her ordeal.

She said she was trafficked to the city nine months ago from Tripura. She worked as a domestic help at a house in Banaswadi, where she was a victim of violence.

Physically tortured

She told the police that she was physically tortured and traumatised there. She wasn’t allowed to go outside and not fed properly.

In both cases, the children weren’t paid and were kept as bonded labourers. Cofined to a closed environment and not allowed to go anywhere, they were deprived of food.

“We have informed the local jurisdictional police along with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members about the rescue. They will book appropriate (trafficking and bonded labour) cases and also in turn will arrange for their rehabilitation and reunion with parents,” Debasmitha said.

Further investigations in the case are on.