Rescue operation unearths child trafficking racket

TEAM HERALD

PANJIM: The rescue of underprivileged juvenile boys from Kolhapur has exposed a child trafficking syndicate allegedly involving a British national, who unlawfully shifted gullible children to an unregistered shelter home at St Cruz. 

What’s shocking is that Panjim police let 55-year-old Timothy Geddes go scot free, though he was caught red-handed loitering with two boys in the capital, on March 16 and subsequently confessed to not possessing any documents which could prove their legal transfer to Goa. 

Eventually, four more boys were rescued from the home, among whom four are aged between 8 and years and two others are aged between 18 and 19 years. 

The conduct of local police has irked child rights activists who suspect paedophilia and questions are being raised on the Panjim police’s act of attempting to soften the case against the foreigner. 

“The police should have slapped child trafficking case against the foreign national because he was not only illegally operating the shelter home in Goa but also brought children to Goa without producing them before the Kolhapur child welfare committee (CWC),” Anyay Rahit Zindagi Director Arun Pandey told Herald. 

ARZ along with the non governmental organisation Childline, which had been tracking Geddes’ whereabouts since past few months, had spotted him in Panjim and later alerted the police. The minor boys narrated they were sent by a shelter home My Father’s House in Kolhapur being managed by Ageape Medicare Enterprises Pvt Ltd. The British national was also summoned but let off after recording his statement. 

An investigation revealed the organization had assured the parents they will provide the children education, shelter and health services in their home in Kolhapur. In an undertaking obtained from the parents, the NGO mentioned it would not be responsible for any harm to the children. 

Interestingly, the children were living in the posh villa for eight months with the Kolhapur parents ignorant that their children were already taken to Goa. “It is a clear case of kidnapping and trafficking, since the children were brought to Goa without the permission of the parents/relatives as well… The children could have been brought here for paedophilia. All this needs to be investigated,” Pandey pointed out. 

The Panjim police concede the foreigner was found without valid documents but ruled out serious criminal charges against him. “We impounded his passport. His house was searched and nothing incriminating was found. Yes, he did not possess any documents based on which we booked him under Goa Children’s Act,” Police Inspector Rajendra Prabhudesai said. He added the medical report of the boys did not establish any signs of physical or sexual abuse.