Koraput: In a major development, police rescued as many as 21 minors including 17 girls and 4 boys who were allegedly being trafficked for labour while arresting three middlemen in this connection in Koraput district of Odisha on Friday night. The children were spotted during vehicle checking by Semiliguda police while they were waiting for a bus at Damanjodi Chowk.

All the minors have been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee. Asper reports, the 17 minor girls and 4 minor boys had been picked up from Narayanpatana, Kakarigumma and Damanjodi for manual paddy harvesting. They were reportedly lured by the middlemen to work for money at Rs 500 per day.

On getting information about the children waiting at the bus stand, police swung into action and reached the spot before they could leave. The three middlemen who were transporting the children were apprehended.

Official sources said the accused will be forwarded to court today. "The three accused persons have been arrested and will produced in court today. The children have been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee," said IIC Sachindra Pradhan.