Press Trust Of India
Malkangiri, Feb 1: Police Sunday rescued 49 persons, including 21 children, while they were being
illegally ferried to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to work as labourers, police said.
“We have arrested four persons, including a middleman, who were found engaged in taking the poor
people by luring them with good food and handsome wages,” said Dinabandhu Behera, inspector-in-charge (IIC) of Motu police station.
According to Behera, the police swung into action following a tip-off from the Child Welfare Committee, Malkangiri. Of the 21
children, 16 were girls, the IIC said, adding the children were in the age group of nine to 16 years.
“We caught them while the 49 persons were being ferried in a boat in river Saberi,” Behera said, adding that Satipali Narasimha Rao, the middleman, was among the four persons arrested in this connection.
Meanwhile, the police have handed over the rescued children to the Child Welfare Committee, Malkangiri.“We will rehabilitate the children as per the law,” said Child Welfare Committee
chairperson Sanjukta Pradhan.
District collector D Prasant Kumar Reddy said he would ensure that the adult labourers rescued by
the police would be provided with job cards.
