Parents have not seen the “rescued” children in 12 days.

The Manmad railway police “rescued” 30 boys, all aged between 8 and 16 years, on May 31 when they were traveling by train to Sangli to attend a madrasa. The police suspected they were being trafficked. For the past 12 days, Mohammed Sabir, a resident of Purnia district, and other parents from surrounding areas in Bihar have been waiting in Nashik to be reunited with their children. The police have arrested four people in the case registered under section 370 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for human trafficking. The arrested accused had claimed that they were taking the children to madrasas in Sangli for educational purposes. We are not permitted to see our kids. The parents have spent the previous 12 days finding shelter wherever they could and relying on support from strangers. “We have no shelter here. At least we have to see for ourselves that they are safe and talk to them to reassure them,” she added. We eat what people give us and sleep wherever we have the chance. Sabir and another parent, Mohd Firoz, of the Arariya district, said it is typical for children from their area to travel to Nashik, Sangli, and other districts in Maharashtra for education. “We all are either laborers or have farms, but very little farming happens there,” Mohd Firoz said. To become a Haafiz after studying for three years, a Mufti after studying for five years, and an Alim after studying for seven years, children from our villages have traveled to Maharashtra in the past, he said. The parents met district collector Gangatharan D on Monday to request that their children be released. Anjum Makrani, who led the parents, claimed that this was nothing but mischief. Collector Gangatharan D said the CWC is the supreme body t We are anticipating their social assessment report from the CWCs of the relevant districts. Once that is received, the CWC Nashik would transport the kids to their respective Purniya and Araria while being escorted by the police, according to the collector.