260 runaway minors returned to their homes under Operation Muskaan: Azamgarh DIG

“After the huge success of similar operations in western districts, we too started the drive around eight months ago. With the collective effort of the anti-human trafficking cell, ‘Dial 100’, the crime branch and district police, a total of 292 youths — of which around 260 are minors and 56 are women or girls — were returned to their home under this drive,” Bhushan told The Indian Express.

He further said, “Among these, 90 came back by themselves after we contacted and convinced them. The remaining were brought back by police from neighbouring districts and districts of Bihar like Hazipur, Buxar, Patna and Muzaffarpur. Some of them were brought back from as far as New Delhi.”

The DIG told this newspaper that the reasons for running away ranged from fights with family members, searching for jobs, wanting to see other cities, and in very few cases, eloping with partners.

“In order to trace these children, we had sent our teams to different districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. We checked roadside restaurants, brick kilns and hotels. Many of the children were found working in such places. For example, we found 8 children at two roadside restaurants in Hazipur, six at a tea stall near Buxar railway station, and five others at Patna railway station. In around 10 per cent cases, we received calls informing us about the lost children after the drive was advertised through different media,” he added.

According to data provided by the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP), Mau, 8 minors and 40 youths who had been reported as missing have been brought back to their homes since the drive was implemented in the district this month itself. In Ballia, 68 children have been traced and returned since ‘Operation Muskaan’ was implemented four months ago.

“Before the drive was initiated, we had missing reports of total 218 people, among which 44 were minors. Some of these cases were pending since 2005. However, since the start of the drive, we have traced 8 minors and 40 youths,” said a policeman at the SP office.

“Police teams have been form to trace those missing. In every police station, constables have been allotted 3-4 cases under the supervision of the police station heads,” the policeman further said, adding that they are currently tracking the remaining 170 cases in Mau.