Thrissur: Child Welfare Committees wrapped up preparations for the return of 122 destitute minors on Monday from a local orphanage in the State to Godda district in Jharkhand even as Crime Branch police on Friday arrested middleman Shafiq Sheik, attached to an orphanage at Mukkom in Kozhikode.
First Class Judicial Magsitrate II K.R. Sunil Kumar recorded statements by four minors, staying at Pezhunkara Orphanage in Palakkad, under CrPC 164, which is part of the police effort to fortify the case on the illegal transport of 589 minor victims from North Indian States.
According to Crime Branch officials, the arrested Shafiq Shaikh of Jharkhand was actively involved in importing minors from Jharkhand. “Shafiq’s wife is working at Mukkom orphanage” officials said. He had bought 80 children to the State in 2011 and 150 children in 2012, police said.
The four-member official team from West Bengal visited the Palakkad and Kozhikode orphanages and interacted with the children.
Sources said the Railways had placed two AC coaches at the disposal of the CWC for taking back the children. Some 38 officials, including police, are expected to accompany the children on Monday.Thirty-one guardians from Jharkhand would accompany the 122 destitute minors.
Already senior officials from Jharkhand and West Bengal are in Kerala, interacting with local officials for the safe return of the children, brought here by middlemen, promising them a bright future.
The return of children from orphanages in Mukkom and Malappuram would start only after the first batch from Pezhunkara in Palakkad reached Jharkhand and the officials returned.
