3 min readBengaluruMay 13, 2026 05:13 PM IST
As many as 24 children from Bihar, who allegedly faced abuse and forced labour at a madrasa in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district, were rescued from a railway station in Bengaluru, where the police said they have booked the preacher in connection with the case.
The accused has been identified as Moulali, 44, a preacher at Jamia Arebia Hasinia Trust, a madrasa located in Amlapura village in Tumakuru.
The case came to light on April 19 when personnel of the Railway Protection Force found the children wandering in a group at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station. During questioning, the children said they had escaped from the madrasa and were trying to return home to Bihar.
“They were unaware that it was Bengaluru, but looking at big platforms and many people, they got down and started searching for a train to go to Bihar when they were found,” an official said.
The children were taken to the child helpline centre at the station and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) was informed. Asha H K, Child Protection Officer, Bengaluru South, told The Indian Express that the children said they were from Bihar and had been left at the madrasa by their parents.
According to the FIR, the children told authorities they were physically assaulted at the madrasa and forced to work on construction activities, including building a compound wall within the premises. They also alleged they were prevented from contacting their families.
During counselling, the children said they escaped from the institution after allegedly being unable to endure the abuse.
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A CWC official said the children were between 8 and 17 years old.
“The parents of these children come from a poor background, and they came here and enrolled their children on the madrasa for their education and returned to their hometowns. All the children are from Araria city in Bihar and we have summoned the parents,” the official said.
“The children are in CWC custody. We are conducting a social investigation to verify the financial and social background of the parents. We will act accordingly,” the official added.
The case, initially registered by the railway police, was later transferred to Tumakuru Rural Police Station. The police booked the accused under provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016.
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However, the Tumakuru Rural police said the children’s statements have yet to be recorded and that no arrests have been made so far.
