MPHAL, August 31: Manipur Police team stationed at Mao gate had intercepted a vehicle ferrying six minor boys aged between 14 and 16 years on their way to Imphal to be employed as labourers on Wednesday, reports reaching here said.
The boys were later handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Senapati District under the state Social Welfare Department which later passed on the boys to the Senapati based NGO MANEDA run Hope Home for their care and stay.
The victims were provided fooding, lodging and protection at the home.
According to Director Peter Rangnamei of MANEDA, one of the victims was found sick since August 29 and treated at the District hospital.
Police sources said the boys were contacted by a person Shahidur Islam(30) son of Abdul Motin of Naogaon suspected to be a labour contractor based at Assam and regularly dispatch young and minor boys to Manipur for work as wage laborers.
The Senapati district Police have already contacted the concerned police station in Assam to nab the main accused person for alleged trafficking of the minor boys.
Four of the six boys have been employed by a company identified as Cineplex Construction Company in construction sites at Palace compound in Imphal since many months.
Previously MANEDA, a well known NGO in the district had also provided fooding and lodging facilities to as many as 15 child victims for more than a month in the past.
According to the NGO, repeated assurance were made in the past by concerned department and government officials to extend financial assistance to the NGO, but nothing substantial has been initiated till date.
Inspite of such apathy from the government, officials of the Home mentioned that they will continue to provide every possible assistance to those victims in upholding the principle and objectives of their organisation and to aid those children.