Cuttack: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Cuttack has detained a Maulana for allegedly bringing 14 minor boys from Bihar to Odisha under suspicious circumstances, officials said on Wednesday.
The minors were reportedly brought by train from Kishanganj and Araria districts in Bihar to Cuttack. During routine checking at the railway station, RPF personnel intercepted the group and questioned them.
The accompanying cleric, identified as Mohamed Margubur Rahman, failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the purpose of the journey, raising suspicion among officials.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Rahman hails from the Pikol Gram Panchayat area under Salipur police limits in Cuttack district, where he runs a madrasa at Sainpara Masjid. He claimed that the children were being brought for religious education. However, authorities are verifying the authenticity of this claim.
Officials are also probing whether due procedures and documentation were followed for transporting the minors across state lines.
The RPF, along with Intelligence Bureau personnel, is currently interrogating the detained individual. Meanwhile, members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Cuttack have conducted separate interactions with each of the minors to ascertain the facts and ensure their safety.
Further investigation is underway to determine the intent behind bringing the children and whether any legal violations have occurred, officials added.
