GUWAHATI: A total of 42 children from Assam have been rescued in Sikkim and brought back to the state on Friday, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The parents of the children, hailing from four villages of Chirang district along the Indo-Bhutan border, were lured by two persons who assured that their education would be taken care of, but they ended up as domestic helps, Sarma told reporters here.
The two accused have been arrested and during interrogation, one of them claimed that in the last two years, 80 children have been trafficked from the state, with some sent to Dubai as well, officials said.
The operation to rescue the children was initiated by Chirang Police under the guidance of Bodoland Territorial council chief Promod Bodo and Special DGP L R Bishnoi, while Sikkim Police provided the necessary help and cooperation.