Ten tribal children rescued from Bihar after going missing in Jharkhand

Ten tribal children, including six girls, from Jharkhand’s Koderma district , who had been missing since January 31, were safely rescued from a child home in Bihar’s Gaya district and returned to their families on Saturday, police said.

The children, belonging to the Birhor community , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) , had attended a shraddh ceremony (tithi) in Parsabad, around 4 km from their hamlet. While traveling with a group of 60–70 villagers, these ten children became separated, reached Parsabad railway station, and inadvertently boarded a train. They were unable to alight at their correct station, eventually ending up in Gaya , nearly 200 km away. Authorities confirmed there was no abduction or criminal involvement .

Koderma Superintendent of Police Anudeep Singh said, “After receiving information that some children had been kept in a child home in Gaya, I immediately went there with my team. We verified their identities through video calls with their guardians and ensured their safe return to Koderma.”

He added, “This was purely an accident. The children had lost their way during travel. There is no criminal angle , and the focus was on bringing them back safely.”

The children were rescued by the Gaya police on February 2 and placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) . “The Gaya police did an excellent job ensuring the children’s safety until our team arrived,” Singh noted.

The disappearance was formally reported on February 6, and an FIR was lodged at Jainagar police station . A special investigation team (SIT) led by DSP Rati Bhan Singh coordinated with local authorities, tracked CCTV footage, and reached out to the community. Within 24 hours of the FIR, the missing children were traced and brought back to their families.

Deputy Commissioner Rituraj said, “The safe return of these children brings immense relief to their families and the Birhor community. This operation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated efforts between Jharkhand and Bihar authorities.”

The incident highlights the vulnerability of tribal children in remote areas and underscores the importance of quick action, inter-state coordination, and community vigilance in ensuring their safety.