KOZHIKODE: The police department has sent an alert to the students, parents and teachers to be careful about the strangers, who offer free lift to the students on their way to school and tuition centres. This is in the wake of incidents of abductions and cases of children missing in various parts of the state.
Already, Kochi police has sent such an alert. The Kozhikode police will include an awareness programme in their Student Police Cadet (SPC) project, said Mr Moosa Vallikkadan, Nadakkavu CI.
"Though no cases of abuse were reported in the city limits in the recent past, students can be seen seeking lift from strangers in the morning and evening. This happens on roads with infrequent public transportation system. The students from the rural limits and those without school buses are at the receiving end," said the CI.
Boys can be seen seeking lift from bike riders near West Hill barracks between East Hill and Chungam. There are many institutions as well as tuition centres in the area. Mr Nazeer Chaliyam, member, Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Human Rights, said that the students going on strangers' vehicles should be discouraged.
"There is an increase in the number of children going missing even in groups. Parents as well as teachers should prevent such a situation. Another headache is the private vehicles that carry students to school," said Mr Nazeer. Recently, there was a scare in Ramanattukara that a girl student was abducted by some men in a car. Though the police from Kozhikode and Malappuram started a search, the girl later told the school authorities that she had gone with her acquaintances.
