DNA test needed to verify parents of kids in Bathinda
Punjab's government is cracking down on child begging and trafficking with Project Jeevanjot-2.
In a major two-day sweep, officials rescued 41 children from 18 spots across the state.
After finding 20 kids begging under suspicious circumstances in Bathinda, police filed an FIR.
Now, DNA tests are required to check if adults with these children are actually their parents.
Exploitation won't be tolerated, says minister
Social Security Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stressed that anyone caught forcing kids to beg or traffick them faces serious jail time.
Rescued children stay in government shelters until DNA results confirm their families.
Since September 2024, Punjab has freed 367 kids through hundreds of raids, offering them schooling and care while keeping a strict zero-tolerance policy against exploitation.
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