Kiswar Jahan, a widow from Bihar’s Araria district, sent her 15-year-old son Irfan Sheikh to Maharashtra for studies at a madrasa. But just two days later, she learned that he had been stopped and detained in Madhya Pradesh.
Irfan was among nearly 100 children from Araria and nearby areas who were travelling to madrasas in different states for education. According to reports, the children were not travelling alone and were accompanied by madrasa teachers.
However, at Katni railway station in Madhya Pradesh, railway police and child welfare officials stopped the train and detained 163 children on suspicion of “human trafficking.”
Later investigations reportedly found no evidence of trafficking or forced labour, and all the children were released.
Widow Mother Travelled to MP to Bring Back Son
Kiswar Jahan, who is financially weak and raising her family alone, spent her savings to travel to Madhya Pradesh to bring back her son.
She submitted documents to officials to prove that Irfan was her child and that he was travelling for studies. Despite this, she was not immediately allowed to meet him or take him home.
Speaking about his experience, Irfan said officials asked him several questions during detention.
“They asked me why I was going so far to study in a madrasa, who my parents were, and whether I was going there to become a terrorist,” Irfan said.
Child Welfare Official Defends Questions
According to reports, Jabalpur Child Welfare Committee chief Manish Tiwari defended the questioning and said such checks are part of the process.
“In the current atmosphere, this kind of verification is a normal procedure, and officials have to confirm everything,” he reportedly said.
Officials maintained that the questioning was done as part of child protection measures.
Hundreds of Children Stopped This Year
Reports suggest this was not an isolated case. So far this year, around 375 children have reportedly been stopped in nine separate cases on suspicion of human trafficking while travelling on trains.
Most of these children belonged to the Muslim community, and in seven cases, they were reportedly travelling to madrasas for education. However, investigations later found trafficking allegations to be false in all cases.
Social Organisations Raise Concerns
Several social organisations and activists have raised concerns over the repeated detention of Muslim children travelling to madrasas.
Members of the Jan Jagran Shakti Organisation alleged that Muslim children were being selectively targeted.
“A particular narrative is being built around children travelling to madrasas,” organisation member Ashish Ranjan said.
Some madrasa administrators also expressed concern that attempts were being made to create a negative image of madrasa education.
However, authorities rejected these allegations. Araria Child Welfare Committee chairperson Deepak Kumar Verma said children are considered in need of “care and protection” under the law, which is why such verification procedures were followed.
