An 18-year-old youth and another were accompanying them

Seven minor boys and an 18-year-old youth , all hailing from Godda district in Jharkhand, were detained by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Kayamkulam railway station on Saturday night.

They were travelling by train without proper documents, in the company of another person.

They were being brought to a religious education centre at Pathanapuram, a senior RPF official said.

The minor boys were handed over to Childline authorities in Alappuzha.

In custody

The youth and the accompanying person were taken into custody by the local police, the RPF official said.

The detention was done after the RPF was alerted by railway passengers in the wake of earlier incidents of child-trafficking involving children from north Indian States.