(Top) Inspector-general of Darbhanga range RK Mishra and Darbhanga city superintendent of police Kumar Aikley. Picture by Mohan Mahato

Darbhanga, March 2: An intervention from zonal inspector-general of Darbhanga range R.K. Mishra helped two children, who were allegedly sold to an “unknown woman”, reunite with their families today.

The children were allegedly lured by an Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha) worker on February 16. They were sold to a woman for just Rs 1,500 each.

The Samastipur Child Welfare Committee (CWC) released the two children and handed them over to the Darbhanga police yesterday evening.

The CWC had rescued the children, along with three others, on February 17 from the unidentified woman at Samastipur railway station.

Asha worker Nirjala Devi of Shrinea Gharari Tola under Ashok Paper Mill police station of the district allegedly sold the children.

Nirjala, according to a few villagers, lured the children when they were returning home from school on February 16.

The parents of the children registered a named FIR against Nirjala with Ashok Paper Mill police station on February 17.

However, the station house officer of Ashok Paper Mill police station, Ram Chaudhary, allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 each from the parents of the children to accompany them to Samastipur, when they came to know that the children were in a child home called Prayas.

The inspector-general immediately took note of the parents’ complaint and directed the police to bring back the children.

The CWC rescued the five children from the woman at Samastipur railway station on February 17. The welfare committee also handed over the woman to the Government Railway Police (GRP) and rehabilitated the children at Prayas.

Three of the rescued children were handed over to their parents hailing from Baheri police station of the district on February 22. But the remaining two remained at Prayas owing to the alleged dilly-dallying of the police.

“It is a matter of investigation whether the police neglected the matter and demanded bribe or not. If the parents had approached the police, in what circumstances the police did not co-operate with them will be probed,” Mishra told The Telegraph.

He said: “The complaint also read that the police allegedly demanded bribe of Rs 20,000 for releasing the kids. We have set up an inquiry panel and deputed Darbhanga city superintendent of police Kumar Aikley for the job.”

The zonal inspector- general of Darbhanga range added: “All the charges levelled on the police officer are being verified and action would be taken soon after the allegations are proved. We are waiting for the inquiry report. It is too early to comment on the case.”

The GRP, on the other hand, has no record about the recovery of the five children and the woman. Even the woman accompanying the children is at large.

The parents of the rescued children expressed their shock over the woman being set free despite the CWC handing her over to the GRP on charges of child trafficking.