KANNUR: As many as 107 children were trapped within six months in the 'Watch the Children' project implemented by the Kannur Police to monitor the students who skip their classes and roam around. This project was implemented under the leadership of ACP TK Ratnakumar to monitor the school students roaming around during or after class.

The project was initiated on the basis of information that some students were loitering and using drugs at beaches, malls, Kannur Fort, bus stands and theatres. The pink police will nab the students who skip their classes and roam around. As a part of this, a WhatsApp group has also been formed with school principals, head teachers, women police inspectors and pink police SIs as members.

The police will first approach the students who are seen roaming around and inquire why they did not attend their classes. If there is no clear reason, the students will be taken to the women's police station without causing them any mental distress. Children will be released after giving necessary counselling in the presence of parents.

Most of those students caught by the police are children who went to different places to meet friends they met through social media. A Class 5 girl from a school in Kannur went to the theatre in the city wearing a dress on top of her school uniform. She went to the theatre to meet a Plus Two student from Thiruvananthapuram whom she met through social media.