9 kids forced into begging rescued
Berhampur: Demonstrating both vigilance and compassion, Berhampur police rescued nine helpless children who were allegedly being forced into begging by a group of adults. Acting under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice Act, the police arrested five accused persons for exploiting the minors and compelling them to beg at busy traffic intersections of the city.
A case has been registered at Berhampur Town Police Station under Sections 143(5), 139(3), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita read with Section 76 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The arrested persons have been identified as Mani Sindhe (65), Ajaya Kajri Sindhe (30), Rani Sindhe (30), Puja Power (20), and Sita Power (40). All were reportedly living under a flyover near Platform No. 4 of Berhampur railway station. Verification of their identities is still underway as the accused failed to produce any valid identification documents.
The rescued children, comprising three girls and six boys aged between two-and-a-half and 12 years, were found to be part of a racket operating in the busy PVN Rao Chhak area. According to police sources, on March 3, a special team was constituted under the leadership of the SDPO (Town), involving officers from police stations of the Town Subdivision along with members of the District Child Protection Unit of Ganjam and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
During covert surveillance, the police observed a systematic pattern of exploitation. Each morning, the adults allegedly transported the children in an auto-rickshaw, disembarking near the PVN Rao traffic signal before sending the minors to beg at the busy intersections. The adults remained at a distance, closely watching the children and later collecting the money gathered through begging.
After carefully monitoring their activities and gathering sufficient evidence, the police team moved in swiftly, detaining the adults along with the juveniles engaged in begging.
During interrogation, the accused neither disclosed their identities nor could they establish any legitimate relationship with the rescued children.
They were unable to produce Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, or any other proof of identity or guardianship. The accused, who conversed in Hindi, claimed certain names and addresses but failed to substantiate them.
Police investigations further revealed that the group allegedly deployed the children daily at various traffic junctions across Berhampur town to beg and collected the earnings. The accused were arrested on Wednesday and produced before the court on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the rescued children are now under the care of the Child Welfare Committee for rehabilitation. Authorities have assured that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure their safety, dignity, and opportunities for a better future. Police stated that further investigation into the suspected begging racket is currently in progress.
