A group of 59 children from Bihar’s Araria district travelling to Odisha to study at a madrasa were stopped at Cuttack station by the railway police, their parents told Scroll on Wednesday evening.

A local news report said the children were “rescued” by the Railway Protection Force and handed over to the Cuttack Child Welfare Committee. But their parents told Scroll that their children were headed for the Jamia Islamia Riyaztul Oloom madrasa in Jagatsinghpur, about 40 km from Cuttack.

Advocate MD Nawaz Hassan, who is representing the parents in Araria, told Scroll that a maulvi from the madrasa was not allowed to take the children, who are being kept at a government-run shelter home by the Child Welfare Committee, Cuttack. Scroll has a list of the 59 children and their names and addresses.

SK Shareef, the maulana who heads the Jamia Islamia Riyaztul Oloom madrasa, told Scroll that the teachers accompanying the children had Aadhaar cards and consent letters from their parents. “These two documents are adequate,” said Shareef. “But the police detained the children after producing this.” Shareef said he not travelled Cuttack so far.

Scroll contacted Manoj Vishwas, chairperson of the Cuttack Child Welfare Committee, but he did not respond to calls and messages. This report will be updated if...

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