Bhubaneswar: In a timely intervention, Railway Police rescued 27 minor students from Soro Railway Station in Balasore district while they were travelling without tickets on their way to attend a religious meeting in Angul.
The students, comprising 19 girls and 8 boys aged between 9 and 15 years, hail from different areas including Tulugadia under Kaptipada police station of Mayurbhanj district, Aupada, and Dhenkanal. They were being taken to Angul to participate in a three-day religious meeting.
According to reports, a youth had brought the children by bus from Tulugadia and was waiting at Soro station for a train to Angul. During routine checking, Railway Police became suspicious as the group was travelling without tickets and questioned them. The children revealed they were being taken to attend a meeting to listen to religious discourses and prayers.
On receiving information, Balasore Child Helpline members reached the spot and took all 27 children into safe custody. The person accompanying the minors has been detained by police for interrogation.
Police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the full circumstances of the incident, including the purpose of taking such a large group of minors without proper documentation or guardian consent.
