PERUMBAVOOR: A priest has been arrested in the incident of trafficking girls to Ernakulam from Rajasthan. The arrested has been identified as Jacob Varghese, director of Karuna Charitable Trust in Perumbavoor. The railway protection force and the police jointly took the 12 girls brought in Okha- Ernakulam Express into custody at the Kozhikode railway station. The police had yesterday registered a case against the mediators and natives of Rajasthan. The priest was arrested in an investigation conducted on the information provided by them.

The Kozhikode railway police registered a case for human trafficking. A case was registered against Lokesh Kumar and Shyam Lal of Rajasthan. Six seniors accompanied the girls. Four of them were their relatives.

An investigation found that Karuna Charitable Trust was functioning illegally without the permission of Juvenile Justice Act. All the 12 girls have been shifted to the child welfare committee. The committee said there is mystery in the incident and that a probe is progressing.