Odisha Crime Branch rescues 1,051 children in first phase of Operation Muskan-2

As many as 1,051 missing children have been rescued by the Odisha Crime Branch during the first phase of Operation Muskan-2.

The Operation Muskan, which was started on July 25 jointly by the Crime Branch in association with the Women and Child Development Department, has rescued these children from various places across the state.

Special DG Crime branch B.K. Sharma said the next phase of operation will resume outside Odisha from today where the police teams will go to 10 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Jharkhand Tamil Nadu and Bihar and trace out the missing children of Odisha. The second phase operation will end on August 24.

As per the direction of the Supreme Court for protection of missing children, the Odisha Police have launched a month-long drive called 'Operation Muskan' each year in two phases since 2015.

Notably, under Operation Muskan-I, the Odisha Police had rescued 900 children from last year from both inside and outside Odisha.