15 minor girls rescued, four arrested for trafficking in Odisha

Berhampur: Four persons, including three women, were arrested by Government Railway Police here for allegedly trafficking 15 minor girls to Andhra Pradesh with promise of jobs.

Madhusmita Kanhar and Sushama Pradhan of G Udayagiri in Kandhamal district, Bhanu Moharana of Bramhagiri in Puri district and Balaram Barik of Kendrapara were arrested yesterday for allegedly trafficking the minor girls, said GRP inspector in-charge, Nilakantha Mohapatra.

Childline activists along with railway police rescued 15 minor girls from Puri-Tirupati Express train here on Wednesday.

While six of the minor girls belonged to Dhenkanal district, four were from Cuttack and five from Kandhamal, said Sudhir Sabat, director Childline, Berhampur.

A Childline activist lodged an FIR against the accused persons before the GRP on Thursday after which the arrest was made yesterday.

The accused persons were taking the girls to Samalkot and Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh promising to engage in private firms with decent salaries, said Prabhu Prasad Patra of Childline.

"We suspect the main trafficker had escaped from the spot," Patra said.

The rescued girls were put in the shelter house of the Childline here as per the direction of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Ganjam. "Medical test will be conducted and the girls will be handed over to their parents after consultation with their respective district administrations for their proper rehabilitation," said Sabat.

He said Berhampur railway station was one of the major transit points to traffic the girls from various places of Ganjam, Gajapati, and Kandhamal districts. Around 100 minor girls from these districts were rescued last year, he said.

In most of the cases the child traffickers lure the parents with decent job and proper accommodation. In some cases, they engage them in other works, including hazardous work and flesh trade, alleged Sabat.