Steps to send back children to Bihar

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has begun procedures to send the 28 children taken into custody from Thrissur to their native place in Bihar.

“They will be handed over to the Child Welfare Committee in Bhagalpur. The committee will hand over the children to the respective family after identifying them,” said Child Welfare Committee Chairman P.O. George.

The 28 children have been lodged at the children’s home at Ramavaramapuram under the custody of the CWC.

The children from Bihar, without proper legal documents, were taken into custody from Chettiyangadi here on Tuesday. They were reportedly on their way from an Islamic study centre at Thodupuzha to Bihar.

Mr. George said the children from Bhagalpur and Madhapur had come to the State two years ago for studying the Koran.

“They reached the religious study centre at Thodupuzha eight months ago. The children did not have proper legal documents to prove their age and other details except a certificate from their village panchayat. A religious teacher was also with them,” Mr. George said.

The children started from Ernakulam on June 9 morning by bus and were found in Thrissur on June 10 afternoon. Only 11 of them had train tickets for Bihar, that too for the general compartment.

The police were inquiring why the children reached Thrissur on their way to Bihar and where did they go in between. It is said that they were going to their native place as the Islamic study centre at Thodupuzha was closed for Ramzan holidays.

“The CWC is trying to get train tickets. As soon as we get tickets they will be sent to Bihar,” he added.