Imphal, December 16 2008: JOHN (name changed) never liked the 'spoiled food' given him at the Bethesda Home in Bangalore and would throw it into the dustbin.

But he would be forced to take it back and eat it by the staffs at the home, stated one of the three boys who were brought back home to Imphal today after reportedly being rescued by the Association for Promoting Social Actions (APSA) Childline, Bangalore.

(The real names of the rescued boys have not been mentioned on the request of the APSA Childline, Bangalore and the boys themselves.) Three minor boys in the age group of 10-15 'rescued' by APSA Childline, Bangalore from Bethesda Home in Bangalore were handed over to the Child Line, Imphal today. Though the minors were rescued on September 11 last, they could not be sent back to Manipur at that time as one of the boys was to be given a medical treatment, stated Mrs Meenakshi, co-ordinator of the Association for Promoting Social Actions (APSA) Childline, in a letter addressed to the secretary, Manipur Mahilakalyan Samiti, Dewlaland, in Imphal East.

The letter also requested the Manipur Mahilakalyan Samiti to look into the rehabilitation education of the three boys. Talking to the press today in Imphal, the boys informed that they had been taken to Bangalore by a certain Mrs Besai Mao of Makhel village in Senapati district of Manipur and were admitted to the Bethesda Home for further education.

This lady also took Rs.13,000/- each from the parents of the boys for their admission, informed the boys. However, their dreams of education in the far off land turned into a nightmare following the abuses and the ill treatments that the three boys had to face during their stay at the Home.

Besides doing all the household works such as cooking, cleaning, washing and even looking after babies, the boys disclosed that they had to carry water from far off places.

If works unsatisfactory to the owner, they would even be stripped then beaten and even kicked at times, alleged the boys.

The food they were given also spoiled ones most of the times, added the boys. Detailing further on their torments, the boys narrated that they would wake up at 5 am and work till 8:30 in the night when they would be served their dinner.

Sometimes, they had to even stay up late into the night and work till then besides being called names like donkey, owl, grandmother, etc.

The boys informed that there were seven other boys from Bangalore at the Bethesda Home. Meanwhile, a statement of the rescue team informed that Mr.Subramani and Mrs Meenakshi rescued the boys with the help of Hennur Police and were kept at the APSA centre for shelter.

An FIR has also been registered at the Hennur police station, informed the statement. Speaking to the media, executive member of the Imphal Childline stated that the organisation would immediately initiate with the investigation of the matter. The three boys were reportedly taken to Bangalore on May 27 in 2007 from their homes by Mrs Besai who is also informed to be a student of Theology in Bangalore.

The whereabouts of Mrs.Besai is a mystery now, said the executive member of Childline. The three boys were supposed to have been admitted at New Brilliance English school, where the 'only three teachers' could not speak a word of English, are stated to be in classes four, six and seven. This latest incident of apparent child trafficking comes amid the state is being hit by cases of human trafficking.

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