RAYAGADA:As many as 20 children including 13 girls in the age group of 12-16 were rescued by Rayagada Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Friday.
Of the rescued children, 18 are from Kolnara block of Rayagada district and two from Gajapati district. The children were waiting to board the Dhanbad-Bokaro-Alleppey Express at Rayagada railway station when RPF detained them suspecting child trafficking. The middlemen managed to flee. Later, the children were handed over to the Childline officials.
RPF Sub-Inspector RK Rao said children were being taken to Thrissur of Kerala to be engaged in domestic works. This is third incident of child trafficking in a week in Rayagada district. Earlier, 11 children were rescued and three middlemen detained by police.
District Labour Officer Narendra Raika said efforts are being taken by the officials of Labour Department and Childline to hand over the rescued children to their parents.