Daijiworld Media Network – Ranchi

Ranchi, Feb 8: Ten tribal children, including six girls, who had gone missing after attending a shraddh ceremony in Jharkhand’s Koderma district, were traced and rescued from Bihar’s Gaya, police said on Sunday.

The children, belonging to a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), are residents of Gadiyahi Birhor Tola in Khariyodih panchayat. They had been missing since January 31 after getting separated from their group.

Koderma Superintendent of Police Anudeep Singh said all the children were found at a child care home in Gaya district on Saturday. “After receiving information that some children were kept there following their rescue by Gaya police, I rushed to the child home with my team. Their identities were verified and confirmed through video calls with their guardians before they were brought back,” he said.

According to police, around 60–70 people from the hamlet had gone to attend a shraddh ceremony in Parsabad, located about 4 km away. While most of them returned, the ten children accidentally wandered off.

“They reached Parsadih railway station, boarded a train and failed to get down at the correct station, eventually reaching Gaya,” the SP said.

The children were found wandering in Gaya and were rescued by local police on February 2, following which they were handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Koderma police were informed about their presence on February 7.

An FIR regarding their disappearance was lodged at Jainagar police station on February 6. “The children were traced and brought back within 24 hours of filing the FIR,” the SP added.

Police officials clarified that no criminal angle was found in the incident.