Seven tribal children from Rajasthan’s Udaipur district were rescued in Goa after they were allegedly being trafficked to Tamil Nadu under the pretext of providing free education, with authorities now investigating whether a larger conversion trafficking network was operating in the tribal belt of the state, as reported in Hindustan Times.
The rescued children, comprising five boys and two girls aged between seven and 12 years, belong to villages in Jhadol tehsil of Udaipur district.
According to officials, the children were taken from their villages on July 15 and transported by bus to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, from where they boarded a train to Goa. Investigators suspect they were ultimately being taken to Tamil Nadu.
The alleged operation was foiled after the Railway Police in Goa intercepted the group upon receiving information about a large number of children travelling together. During questioning, the children identified their native villages, enabling the Goa Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to alert authorities in Rajasthan. The children also reportedly told officials that they had been attending a church in Jhadol.
Following the alert, a joint team comprising officials of the Udaipur Child Welfare Committee and the Udaipur Police travelled to Goa and brought the children back to Rajasthan on Saturday (July 18).
Yashoda Paniya, Executive Member of the Udaipur Child Welfare Committee, said the children were currently being questioned in the presence of their parents and local villagers. She said they would be handed over to their families only after the inquiry was completed.
Investigators are also verifying information suggesting that more than 15 children from the Udaipur division may have previously been sent to Tamil Nadu under similar circumstances, raising concerns about a possible organised interstate network.
Following the incident, Udaipur MP Dr. Mannalal Rawat wrote to Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking a detailed investigation into the matter, as reported in OpIndia.
In his letter, the BJP MP called for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). He alleged that the case pointed to the involvement of Christian missionary organisations and a wider network operating across states. Citing the seriousness of the allegations and the possibility of digital financial transactions linked to the operation, he also sought the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine possible interstate and international links.
Dr. Rawat further claimed that more than 15 similar incidents had earlier been reported from Kanuwara, Bichhiwara and Kalinjara in the Udaipur division. According to him, increased awareness among local communities had forced those allegedly involved to change their methods, shifting from direct inducements to luring children with promises of ‘free education’ before sending them to other states.
Following the rescue, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Rajasthan State Minister Sundar Kataria, along with members of the organisation, visited the office of the Child Welfare Committee and urged authorities to initiate strict legal action in the case.
Meanwhile, Yashoda Paniya clarified that no FIR has been registered so far, as the inquiry is still underway. She said authorities would decide on further legal action based on the findings of the investigation, while continuing to probe whether an organised trafficking network targeting tribal children was operating in Rajasthan.
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