Cuttack, Jan. 29: The Child Welfare Committee today started a probe following allegations by social activists that nine children, including five girls, had been sold from a slum in the city in the past seven months.

The children, belonging to the age group between seven and 14, are now working as domestic helps in Andhra Pradesh.

Social activist Premlata Sahu had alleged that the minor children from the slum had been sold. "For the past one year, such incidents have been happening. We have decided to take up the issue," said Sahu. She has even lodged a complaint with Chauliganj police. However, no case has been registered till 9pm.

The committee's three-member fact-finding team, led by district child protection officer Pragati Mohanty, today met the family members of the victims at Nilakantheswar slum in the Chauliaganj police limits.

"Our preliminary inquiry reveals that the children have been trafficked and not sold. The minors have been trafficked with consent of their parents in lieu of money through the help of local middlemen," said Mohanty.

A voluntary organisation alleged that the children had been sold at a price ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000.

"We had tried to collect information about the missing children through the register at the local anganwadi centre. But, there is a mismatch regarding the number of children, and a detailed investigation will be done to ascertain the number of missing kids from the area," Mohanty said.

Local people said middlemen had been active at Chauliaganj for the past two years and they were hand in glove with brokers from Andhra Pradesh, Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

The middlemen were luring the parents to sell their children, who were subsequently engaged as domestic help in various places outside the state.

The parents, whose children have been trafficked, hail from Ganjam and are working as labourers in Cuttack for the past 10 to 15 years.

"We had sent our son to work as a domestic help to earn money. We were promised Rs 1,300 every month, but so far, we have not received a single penny," said Kanti, a mother whose 11-year-old son had been taken to Andhra Pradesh.

Kanti said that most of the parents were sending their children to support the family.

"The employer of my son had spent Rs 5,000 on his eye surgery. We could not have afford that amount," she said.

"The minors are being sold and it has become a business for most of the families, who are spending days in abject poverty," said resident Kirti Rath.

A district administration official said two middlemen, who had played a crucial role in trafficking the minors, were identified as O.V. Giri and Shakti Sahu.

The committee officials suspected that a well-organised racket might be behind the human trafficking.

"We have served notices on two persons to depose before the committee," said committee chairperson Bikash Mohapatra.

Mohapatra said the process of collecting data about the minors had started and all the allegations would be verified.

"We will take legal action against those found guilty in luring the parents and subsequent trafficking of the minors to the neighbouring state," he said.

An official said that as a detailed probe was required outside the state, police assistance would also be sought.

However, most of the minors' families refuted the charge.

"Instead of moving here and spoiling their lives, we have sent our children to work outside and earn livelihood," said Ramesh, a parent.