Overview
- Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police, acting Saturday night on a Child Welfare Committee tip, removed 163 boys from the Patna–Purna Express at Katni in Madhya Pradesh.
- Officials said the boys, all aged six to 13, appeared to be traveling from Araria in Bihar to Latur in Maharashtra for labour work.
- Police detained handlers traveling with the children and registered a case under Section 143(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the provision that covers trafficking of minors.
- The children are now in shelters in Katni and Jabalpur, where teams are counselling them, verifying ages and identities, and contacting families.
- The accused and some parents claim the trip was for madrasa education, and some reports differ on the headcount and destination, so investigators are verifying routes, roles, and intent.