In a midnight operation, 15 minor girls were rescued from six orchestra groups operating within a 10-km radius in Saran district of Bihar. The five-hour intensive crackdown on the orchestra nexus was carried out jointly by officials of the Bihar Police, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), and NGOs Association for Voluntary Action and Narayani Seva Sansthan. Most of the rescued girls bore visible injury marks on their bodies. They had been trafficked from Punjab, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. Five of the six orchestra owners have been arrested, one vehicle seized, and all the girls have been placed in shelter homes. Both Association for Voluntary Action and Narayani Seva Sansthan are partners of Just Rights for Children, one of the largest networks with over 250 partner organizations working for child protection across the country.

The raid was conducted under the directions of Dr. Amit Kumar Jain, ADG, Weaker Section, CID, Bihar Police Headquarters, and on the orders of the SSP, Saran. The operation began after midnight and continued until the early hours of the morning. While 12 girls were rescued from orchestra premises, the owner of Khushi Orchestra pushed three girls into a car and attempted to flee. After an eight-kilometre chase, the accused was apprehended and the minor girls were rescued.

All the rescued girls stated that they were subjected to physical and sexual abuse and were forced to dance to vulgar songs before audiences. “The minor girls were forced to perform at night in orchestra groups on obscene songs. They were denied full payment and were subjected to physical violence and verbal abuse,” the FIR stated.

All the girls had visible marks of injury and abuse on their bodies, reflecting the extent of torture they endured at the hands of the orchestra operators. The orchestra groups raided included Kajal Orchestra, Sur Sangam Orchestra, Kopa Chatti Orchestra, Khushi Orchestra, Shyam Orchestra, and Diya Orchestra.

Praising the prompt action by the ADG, SSP and the Bihar Police team, Manish Sharma, Senior Director, Association for Voluntary Action, said, “The manner in which Bihar Police cracked down on these groups is commendable. Orchestra groups form a critical link in the larger trafficking syndicate. These networks lure vulnerable girls from other states and subject them to abuse and exploitation. It is imperative that this case is investigated as part of an organized crime syndicate by the local police too and prosecuted accordingly. We must also ensure immediate rehabilitation and reintegration of these young girls into the mainstream.”

Accordingly, a case has been registered under Sections including 143(1), 145 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; POCSO Act, 2012; Section 79 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; and Section 16 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act against seven accused persons. The girls were produced before the Child Welfare Committee and shifted to Child Care Institution for further rehabilitation and counselling.