Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Monday said they rescued 358 children and 2,059 women, who were missing for months, in a special drive under Operation Anweshan that continued from Aug 18 to 22.“Puri district police emerged as the best performer by tracing and rescuing 45 missing children and 504 women, followed by Bhadrak district, which found 37 children and 318 women. Cuttack district police also made notable progress by rescuing 21 children and 304 women,” stated an official from the Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAWCW), which co-ordinated the operation across the state.Police sources revealed that many of the rescued children were found in shelter homes both within and outside the state. These children were placed in these facilities after being located by police in different states but remained there due to insufficient efforts to return them to Odisha. Also, some children were rescued from exploitative situations in brick kilns and eateries. A number of the rescued girls left home due to personal issues and were residing at undisclosed locations.According to the CAWCW, between Feb and Aug this year, at least 1,209 missing children, including 1,078 minor girls aged 12 to 17, and 6,667 women have been rescued from both within the state and beyond. “Such drives should be carried out regularly. Investigating officers must adhere to the guidelines set by the Supreme Court and the Odisha crime branch concerning missing children and related offences,” said Sanjay Kumar Behera, a child rights activist.
