Operation Khoj to bring back missing kids

Ranchi: Khunti police will launch 'Operation Khoj' in May to reunite missing children of the district with their parents, said Khunti SP Anish Gupta at a police training session organized by police and Delhi-based NGO Shakti Vahini on Wednesday.
"Each officer has been given the responsibility of meeting the mukhiyas of two or three panchayats and prepare a list of missing children," said Gupta.
The officers have also been entrusted with the task of collecting all relevant details pertaining to the missing children, including information about when they went missing, who took them, where they are likely to be found and other details, added the SP.
A complete list will be prepared by May 15, after which a one-month drive to locate the children will begin.
"The drive to locate children across the country will begin from May 16, depending on the information provided by their parents and relatives. We are issuing orders for the same now," Gupta said.
There are a number of trafficking cases recorded annually in Khunti. The girls trafficked from the district are usually taken to Delhi and other metro cities to work as domestic help.
"We are hoping to nab traffickers during this search operation, too," Gupta said.
Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini said, "It is a welcome move by police to come up with this plan. The operation will not only help police track the missing and trafficked children, but will also help establish a connect between villagers and policemen. We hope locals approach police with trafficking cases in the future."
Thousands of girls are trafficked from Jharkhand every year and are subjected to physical and mental torture. The survey of Jharkhand based Ngo Action Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children (ATSEC) about 30,000 girls are trafficked from the state and the vulnerable districts include Khunti, Gumla, Chaibasa, Sarikela Kharsawan and Chatra.