Operation Muskan II, to be launched by the Jharkhand Police from July 1 to 31, will focus mainly on rescue of missing children from different districts of the state. According to CID officials, preparation for the second phase of Operation Muskan has already been launched in the state directing the SPs to submit a report after reviewing the investigations being carried out for the missing or trafficking cases.
“Unlike the first phase, this time the primary focus of operation will be on the rescue of children for which district wise data is being updated by the concerned SPs,” said IG (Organized Crime) Sampat Meena. The second phase will be launched throughout the Country with in coordination with the other states across the Country, she added.
Meena further informed that a joint workshop is also being organized on July 17 and 18 with other stake holders like Child Welfare Committee, District Child Protection Unit, Sate labour department and others to discuss on the issue and decide on the modalities of interstate trafficking. In addition to that, the officers are also being trained or briefed regarding the standard operating procedures to be followed during the operation, she said.
An e-mail id ig-orgcid@jhpolice.gov.in is also being publicized by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), requesting everyone to report if they come across a suspected case of trafficking or missing children to the agency.
Meena added that out of a total of 154 children rescued and found during the first phase from different places in Country, 77 of them were from Jharkhand.
“36 of them have already been brought here while the remaining 41 are yet to be brought back who are presently are lodged in various shelter homes,” said Meena. She however, said that teams have already been proceeded to bring them back. Those who have been rescued have been sent to their parents while those whose parents have not been located are kept in different shelter homes, she added.
The IG further explained that three-tier approach is adopted before chalking out a plan for Operation Muskan. First is physical verification, which means visiting homes in each missing child case. Second, police ascertain if FIRs were lodged in the case or not, and take corrective measures. lastly, special rescue teams are formed, if investigations hint at trafficking or runaways.
Based on the information at hand, the process of dedicated rescue teams are formed for specific places by the CID after reviewing the reports and deciding on the modalities of interstate trafficking.
During the phase I of Operation Muskan, Ranchi had the highest number of missing children at 192, followed by Khunti at 86, Palamau at 73, Chaibasa at 71 and so on. Of them, police have found that 179 children in Ranchi, 20 in Khunti, 64 in Palamu and 20 in Chaibasa are currently living with parents.
Around seven teams comprising police officials of various districts were flagged off to eight States on April 30 to bring back lost children of the State under Operation Muskan I. The result after 10-days of intensive search was encouraging for the department.
The 36 rescued children, languishing shelter homes and observation homes in Delhi, Chandigardh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ajmersharif, lucknow and Ahmedabad. Notably, the team identified around 77 children of Jharkhand hailing from different parts of the state like Giridih, Sahibganj, Palamau, Ranchi, Pakur, Khunti, Gumla, Chaibasa, Ramgarh.
According to the data available with the CID, there are over 1300-1500 children went missing after the year 2010, which is alarming for the agency.