101 Children Rescued From 17 States in Odisha Police’s Operation Anweshan

11 Sep 2026, 06:40 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police has traced 101 children from the state across 17 states under a fortnight-long operation aimed at locating missing minors and bringing them back home.

Operation Anweshan was conducted from August 28 to September 8 by the Crime Against Women & Children Wing (CAW&CW) in coordination with the Women & Child Development Department. Seventeen teams were deployed for the exercise, with each team working under a DSP-rank officer and a Legal-cum-Probation Officer of the WCD Department.

The teams spent around 10 to 12 days in their assigned states and worked with local police, authorities and Child Care Institutions (CCIs). The operation covered Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala.

Of the 101 children traced, 54 were boys and 47 were girls. As many as 83 were found in CCIs, seven were located at labour sites, while 11 were linked to previously registered missing or kidnapping cases in Odisha. West Bengal recorded the highest number of recoveries at 30, followed by Karnataka with 11, and Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu with 10 each.

The cases included children who had gone missing, minors found working as labourers and children staying in institutional care. Among those linked to kidnapping cases were nine girls and two boys. Six boys and one girl were rescued from labour sites. The remaining 83 children comprised 46 boys and 37 girls who were traced from CCIs.

The operation also brought to light cases involving particularly vulnerable children. A three-month-old infant was found after being born to an Odia minor girl who was living in another state. Officials are working to bring both the girl and her infant back to Odisha. In another case, a one-year-old child who had been staying in a CCI was reunited with the mother after authorities traced her.

Around 80 of the children found in CCIs have already been repatriated to Odisha. Arrangements for the remaining children are being made with the authorities concerned, while the rescued minors are being supported for reintegration and rehabilitation.

Odisha Police said the campaign reflects its continuing efforts to protect children from trafficking, exploitation and child labour, while also tracing missing minors and ensuring their safe return to their families and home state. WCD Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr Mrinalini Darswal, IAS, also provided active support to the campaign.