VINOD BHAT
Dungarpur, Dec 04: A joint team of Childline, the Railway Protection Force and Sristi Seva Sansthan rescued 22 children from Dungarpur railway station on Wednesday night. The group of minors, aged between 11 and 16, was allegedly being taken for child labour. The operation was initiated after the RPF received credible information regarding suspicious activity on the station premises. Demonstrating commendable alacrity and inter-agency coordination, the alert was immediately shared with Childline. Within minutes, a joint team comprising Childline members, Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel and representatives from Sristi Seva Sansthan reached the spot. As the team approached, the three adult handlers accompanying the children attempted to surreptitiously distance themselves from the group. They were promptly intercepted by the authorities. During initial on-the-spot questioning, the men disingenuously denied knowing the children, while the visibly frightened minors stated that they were going for a “picnic”. However, when the children were counselled and interviewed individually, the veracity of the situation emerged. In total, 27 persons were found at the location, of whom 22 were confirmed to be minors. The children stated that they were being taken for catering jobs at events, hotels and parties, settings known for subjecting minors to extended hours of work and exploitative conditions. The three accused have been identified as Jaichand, Ashish and Sanjay. Preliminary investigation indicates that they had brought the children from remote and socioeconomically vulnerable villages in Dungarpur district, including Jhothri, Bedsa, Seemalwada and Mewara. Officials have stated that the agents allegedly targeted economically distressed families, enticing children with specious assurances of easy work and attractive remuneration—an insidious pattern characteristic of labour trafficking networks. Following the rescue, all 22 minors were produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Considering the
gravity and egregious nature of the offence, the CWC ordered that all rescued children be shifted to a Child Care Home for safe shelter, psychosocial support, and comprehensive rehabilitation. Instructions have also been issued for stringent legal action against the three alleged traffickers. Appropriate sections pertaining to child labour, human trafficking and criminal conspiracy are being invoked to ensure exemplary and deterrent punishment. This operation underscores that vigilant, multi-stakeholder collaboration—between Childline, RPF, GRP and civil society organisations—can play a pivotal, life-changing role in preventing children from being pushed into exploitative labour. The agencies involved have reiterated their unequivocal commitment to protecting children’s rights and urged the public to immediately report any suspicious movement of minors at railway stations.
