Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said there were “procedural flaws” in the incident where 589 children from other states were brought to orphanages in northern districts but did not confirm that it was human trafficking.

Speaking with reporters here after a meeting with Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and senior officials in connection with the incident, Chandy said human trafficking could be confirmed only after a probe.

“There have been certain procedural discrepancies in the incident. Only an investigation will reveal if there is more to it. Even if the goal here is commendable, it has to be backed with means that are transparent,” Chandy said.

Children brought from Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal to orphanages in Malappuram and Kozhikode districts were intercepted last week by the Railway police.

Even as a controversy raged on in the backdrop of allegations of human trafficking, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) defended orphanages run by Muslim outfits and said the allegations were part of a conspiracy against these orphanages.

The IUML has also confronted Home Minister who made a statement against orphanages that brought children in from other states.