A day after rescuing 14 migrant children from a house at Menonpara, near here, and bringing them under the temporary care of the Palakkad district child welfare committee, the police are investigating whether it is an attempt of human trafficking.
Two office-bearers of the New Delhi-based Grace Care Society, who allegedly took the children to Menonpara and arranged their stay there, are in police custody. Chittur Circle Inspector V. Hamsa is leading the investigation team. The children, claiming to be natives of Greater Noida, are lodged at the Government Children’s Home at Muttikulangara here.
District Collector P. Marykutty said the boys, aged between 11 and 14, did not possess any valid document. The district child welfare committee said the children would be released only after confirming that they were not being trafficked and on furnishing all documents.
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Thomas George, one of the persons in custody, said the children were taken to Menonpara as part of an educational initiative of Grace Care.
He said the documents were with the organisation, which included consent letters from families. Meanwhile, an office-bearer of the organisation contacted the district police from Noida and said he would reach Palakkad soon to produce the Aadhaar cards of the children.
However, the district child welfare committee maintained that Aadhaar cards were not enough and they should be supported by certificates of their parents, a letter from the village officer, and also the confirmation of the child welfare committees concerned in their respective village.
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