In a significant joint operation conducted on Saturday evening, the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and Child Helpline rescued 21 tribal children from the Motihari-Bapudham railway station in East Champaran. Among the rescued children were five girls, aged between five and nine years. The children are believed to be residents of Jharkhand and Bhagalpur.
Arrest and Investigation
Police arrested Phoenix Kispota, a resident of Kanijadi village under Mahuajadi police station area in Ranchi district, in connection with the case. According to GRP sources, Kispota had allegedly been living with the children in a rented house in the Chandmari locality of Motihari town for the past six months. On Saturday evening, he brought the children to the railway platform to board a train. Acting on a tip-off, Child Helpline and RPF personnel launched a joint operation, rescuing the children and taking them into custody. Kispota was also arrested during the operation.
Medical Examination and Legal Proceedings
After preliminary questioning and completion of necessary formalities, the children were produced before the Child Welfare Judicial Committee (CWJC) following medical examinations on Sunday. Sheo Pujan Kumar, assistant project officer of Child Helpline, lodged an FIR with the local GRP on Sunday, seeking necessary action in the matter.
Officials are investigating the case from several angles. They suspect the matter could be linked to child trafficking or religious conversion. RPF commandant Bharat Jaiswal, sub-inspector Ramesh Kumar, and Child Helpline desk officer Sheo Pujan stated that neither the children nor the arrested man possessed any identity documents. Officials also mentioned that they were unable to provide a clear explanation about their stay in the rented accommodation in Motihari.
The rescue operation highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation and trafficking in the region. Further investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of the network involved.
