RANCHI: A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to trace 10 tribal children, who went missing from a hamlet in Jharkhand's Koderma district, a senior police officer said on Saturday.
A reward of Rs 1 lakh has also been announced by the Koderma Police for anyone providing information about the whereabouts of the children, SP Anudeep Singh told PTI.
The children, who belong to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) and residents of Gadiyai Birhor Tola (hamlet) in Khariyodih panchayat, have been missing since February 1, after they did not return home from Parsabad, police said.
DSP Rati Bhan Singh is leading the SIT.
Pictures of the children with their names, age and other details are being circulated in multiple locations, including various police stations, and CCTV footage from Parsabad and nearby areas are being analysed, as part of the investigation, the officer said.
Ratibhan Singh told PTI that all the 10 children are aged between 5 and 14 years.
On February 1, they had gone to Parsabad to attend a shraddh ceremony, about 4 km away from their hamlet, he said.
"We have intensified our search operations to trace them. Around 60 to 70 people from the hamlet had gone to Parsabad to attend the rituals, but except the 10 children, all of them returned.
"The children had reached Parsabad railway station to catch a train to return home, and it is possible that they might have boarded the wrong train," the DSP said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Koderma, Rituraj, visited the hamlet to take stock of the situation, and met the parents of the missing children.
"All the children have been identified and they will return home soon," he said.
Of the 10 missing children, six are girls, another official said.
Bindiya Birhor, whose four kids are part of the group, told PTI: "Till now, I have no information about my missing children."
Another woman, Karni Birhoni, claimed she was informed by a state government official that both her children have been traced and will come back soon.