BHUBANESWAR: As part of Operation Anwesan, Odisha Police traced and rescued 101 minor children hailing from the state from various parts of the country in the last two weeks.
The Crime against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW) carried out the special campaign to trace, rescue and facilitate the safe repatriation of Odia children from 17 states.
About 17 teams were formed, and each functioned under the supervision of a DSP-rank officer and a legal-cum-probation official of the Women and Child Development department. The teams travelled to different states and remained stationed there for around 10 to 12 days.
They coordinated with the local police and authorities concerned in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala to trace children and facilitate their rescue and repatriation.
During the operation, children were rescued under different circumstances, including cases related to kidnapping, while they were engaged as child labourers and those residing in child care institutions (CCIs) across the 17 states.
Of the total, nine girls and two boys were traced in connection with previously registered kidnapping cases, six boys and one girl were rescued from labour sites, and 46 boys and 37 girls were repatriated from the CCIs.
About 80 children have been repatriated from CCIs, while the process for the repatriation of the remaining children is being undertaken in coordination with the authorities concerned, said CAW&CW officials. The operation also brought to light several sensitive cases involving vulnerable children.
Among those rescued was a three-month-old infant, who was born to an Odia minor girl while she was residing in another state. Efforts are being undertaken to bring the minor girl and her infant child back to Odisha, said the officials.
In another case, a one-year-old child was found to be residing in a CCI. The authorities took steps to trace the child's mother and facilitated their reunion. The operation involved extensive coordination between Odisha Police, WCD department, local police and CCIs in the respective states, they added.
Operation Anwesan reflects our continued commitment towards protecting children from trafficking, exploitation and child labour, as well as tracing missing children and ensuring their safe return to their families and home state, read a statement issued by Odisha Police.
