Palakkad (Kerala): Twenty-one children, who were brought to Kerala from Kishanganj in Bihar without proper travel and identity documents, have been shifted to a child welfare institution under the supervision of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), officials said on Monday.

The authorities are verifying the children’s backgrounds and the circumstances under which they were transported.

The boys, all under the age of 13, were travelling on the Vivek Express, which arrived at Palakkad railway station on Sunday afternoon. Railway police became suspicious after finding that most of the children were travelling without sufficient supporting records and immediately alerted child protection authorities.

Only two adults accompanied the children. When questioned, they claimed the boys were being taken to a private educational institution in Kozhikode. However, the children possessed only Aadhaar cards and a document mentioning the institution’s name, but no birth certificates, education records, or official permission letters, raising serious concerns.

Officials from the District Child Protection Unit reached the station and moved the children to a government-approved child welfare centre for safety and verification.

Palakkad CWC Chairman M Sethumadhavan said the authorities would verify the credibility of the institution in Kozhikode and also confirm the identity and background of the children.

“Based on the information provided by the accompanying adults, we will visit the Kozhikode institution to confirm whether it is legally accredited. We will also coordinate with the Child Welfare Committee in Kishanganj to verify the children’s details,” he said.