Berhampur: Odisha Police Thursday arrested five persons, including four women, for allegedly forcing children to beg in Berhampur city and rescued nine minors, an officer said.
The rescued children, including three girls, are aged between four months and 12 years, police said.
The accused have been identified as Mani Sindhe (65), Ajaya Kajri Sindhe (30), Rani Sindhe (30), Puja Power (20) and Sita Power (40).
All the accused reside near the Berhampur Railway station within Gosani Nuagaon police station limits. Verification of their identities was going on, police said.
The rescued children were produced before the district child welfare committee (CWC) for their proper rehabilitation.
Police launched the operation after receiving information about a group allegedly using children for begging.
A team comprising police personnel, officials of the District Child Protection Unit and members of the CWC began an investigation Tuesday.
During surveillance, police found that the group would arrive in an autorickshaw with children in the morning and drop them near traffic signals and crowded areas to beg.
“The adults accompanying the children would remain at a distance on the roadside and keep watch while the children begged at traffic signals,” a police officer said.
The children were also left at different busy locations across the city and allegedly forced to beg, he added, claiming the practice had been continuing for several months.
After gathering sufficient evidence, police apprehended the accused, Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said.
During interrogation, they neither disclosed their identity nor the relationship with the rescued children, the Berhampur SP said.
“The accused were talking in Hindi. We are trying to ascertain their identities, and further investigation is going on,” he said.