17 minor girls forced to dance in orchestra groups rescued in Bihar; 5 detained     

The police rescued 17 girls, who were forced to dance in orchestra groups, during a search operation at various locations in Bihar's Saran district, a senior officer said on Saturday.

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Five orchestra operators were detained in this connection, a senior officer said.

Among the rescued minors, eight are residents of West Bengal, four are from Odisha, two each from Jharkhand and Delhi and one from Bihar, he said.

Talking to reporters, Saran SP Kumar Ashish said, "After a letter was received from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), members of several NGOs along with the local police conducted raids at Mashrakh, Panapur and Ishuapur, and rescued 17 girls, who were forced to dance in orchestra groups." The raids were conducted on Thursday and Friday, the SP said, adding that the police have also informed family members of all rescued girls.

"The police have detained five orchestra operators in this connection, and they are being examined. A case has been registered and the investigation is underway," he said.

The police have so far rescued 162 girls, who were forced to dance in orchestra groups, since May 2024 and registered 21 FIRs against 56 people, the SP said.

According to a member of the team engaged in the raids, rescued girls told the police that the orchestra operators promised them work in music albums.