MOKAMA, BIHAR: Thirty-two children and their guardian were detained by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Mokama railway station on Monday. The children were travelling to Surat, Gujarat, to resume their studies at Jamia Zakariya Madarsa.
The group was stopped by RPF officers under suspicion of child trafficking. The children were held for nearly 14 hours before being released following growing public pressure and protests from local residents.
According to eyewitnesses and family members, the children were identified by their attire—kurta-pajama and skull caps. They presented student identification cards and admission certificates from the madarsa. However, RPF officials reportedly did not accept the documents and took the group into custody.
Qaisar Rehan, a resident of Mokama, said the children had returned home for Eid and were heading back to Surat. “They showed their documents, but the RPF did not listen,” he said.
“They were taken from the station despite this.”
A video shared on social media shows the children sitting inside a station room. Some appeared distressed. Witnesses claimed the children were not given food or allowed to contact their families during their detention.
Local residents who tried to speak with the authorities said they were warned against interference. One of them, Amin, said, “We were told to leave or be taken to Patna. We decided to stay and asked for their release.”
Following discussions between locals and officials, the group was released later that night. No charges were filed against the children or their guardian.
The incident has led to calls for accountability.
Local groups allege that the children were stopped due to their religious identity. Community members have asked for an investigation into the conduct of the RPF officers involved.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the RPF or local police regarding the detention.
Rights organisations and community representatives have requested authorities to review procedures for identifying trafficking cases to prevent similar incidents.
(With agency inputs)
