Berhampur: The Berhampur police arrested five people and rescued nine children who were allegedly being forced into begging by this group.
Acting under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice Act, the police arrested the five accused persons for exploiting minors and compelling them to beg at busy traffic intersections of the city.
The case has been registered at Berhampur Town Police Station as Case No. 92 dated March 3, 2026, under Sections 143(5), 139(3), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita read with Section 76 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The arrested persons have been identified as Mani Sindhe (65), Ajaya Kajri Sindhe (30), Rani Sindhe (30), Puja Power (20), and Sita Power (40). All were reportedly living beneath the flyover near Platform No. 4 of Berhampur Railway Station under the jurisdiction of Gosani Nuagaon Police Station. Verification of their identities is still underway as the accused failed to produce any valid identification documents.
The rescued children—comprising three girls and six boys aged between two-and-a-half and twelve years—were found to be part of a disturbing racket operating in the busy PVN Rao Chhak area.
According to police sources, a special team was constituted on March 3 under the leadership of the SDPO (Town), involving officers from police stations of the Town Subdivision along with members of the District Child Protection Unit of Ganjam and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
During covert surveillance, the police observed a systematic pattern of exploitation. Each morning the adults allegedly transported the children in an auto-rickshaw, disembarking near the PVN Rao traffic signal before sending the minors to beg at the busy intersection. The adults remained at a distance, closely monitoring the children and later collecting the money gathered through their forced pleading.
After carefully documenting the activities and gathering sufficient evidence, the police team moved in swiftly, detaining the adults along with the juveniles engaged in begging.
During interrogation, the accused neither disclosed proper identities nor could they establish any legitimate relationship with the rescued children. They were unable to produce Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, or any other proof of identity or guardianship. The accused, who conversed primarily in Hindi, claimed certain names and addresses but failed to substantiate them.
Police investigations further revealed that the group had been living under the flyover near the railway station and allegedly deployed the children daily at various prominent traffic junctions across Berhampur town to beg, collecting the earnings themselves.
The accused were formally arrested on March 4 and produced before the court today.
Meanwhile, the rescued children have been presented before the Child Welfare Committee for care, protection, and rehabilitation. Authorities have assured that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure their safety, dignity, and a chance at a better future.
Police stated that further investigation into the suspected begging racket is currently in progress.
