The Kozhikode District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) successfully coordinated the safe return of 21 children to their home State of Bihar after they were intercepted travelling without valid documentation.
The group of boys, aged between 8 and 14, hail from Kishanganj district of Bihar. Their journey was halted following the timely intervention by officials, ensuring that they were reunited with their families rather than potentially entering an unregulated institutional environment, a press release said here on Thursday.
The children had arrived at the Palakkad railway station aboard Vivek Express. They were accompanied by two adults, also from Bihar.
Their guardians were unable to produce any form of identification for the minors. Initial enquiries suggested the children were being taken to an organisation in Kozhikode, prompting the Palakkad team to refer the case to the Kozhikode Child Welfare Committee for a formal investigation.
On their arrival in Kozhikode, the children were placed in a registered children’s home. During their stay, they were provided with professional counselling and essential care services.
The statement said the repatriation process involved a rigorous cross-border administrative effort. At the CWC’s request, the Kozhikode District Child Protection Officer contacted the authorities in Bihar. Subsequently, child protection officials from Kishanganj conducted field visits to the children’s homes to verify their backgrounds and submitted a formal social investigation report.
Subsequently, the relatives of the children travelled from Bihar to Kerala to appear before the Committee. Following a strict verification of documents provided by the families, the CWC cleared the children to return home.
A committee led by chairperson Shiji A. Rahman, along with members Ashraf Kavil, Noorjahan, K. B. Smitha, and V. B. Akhil, oversaw the successful operation. The committee’s prompt action has been credited with preventing a potential case of undocumented child displacement, it said.
Published – February 26, 2026 09:05 pm IST
