Kolkata, 26 July (H.S.) – In a major breakthrough, authorities in West Bengal have uncovered a human trafficking racket operating under the cover of an NGO in Siliguri. The police have arrested Virendra Pratap Singh, the project director of an organization named Durg Education and Charitable Society, for allegedly masterminding the operation.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the NGO lured young women from economically disadvantaged families by promising jobs in reputed companies. Interestingly, the NGO did not send representatives to rural areas directly but instead appointed local agents at the block level to collect applications from prospective candidates and send them to a training centre in Siliguri.

The racket came to light earlier this week when 56 girls were rescued from New Jalpaiguri station just before they were trafficked. The rescue operation was conducted jointly by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP), who also detained two suspects at the scene.

According to police, the girls were being transported to Bihar with promises of employment at a reputed mobile phone company. All the victims hail from vulnerable regions such as Jalpaiguri, Banarhat, Cooch Behar, and Kalchini in Alipurduar, where many families live in and around tea garden areas. Women from these communities were the primary targets of the trafficking ring.

Authorities revealed that the NGO operated a training centre and hostel in Siliguri, where the girls were initially given basic training. Once a level of trust was established, they were sent out under the pretext of employment, often ending up in exploitative situations.

Police are currently recording statements from the rescued girls and tracking down the agents responsible for bringing them to the NGO. Investigators are also analyzing seized documents and computer records from the organization to identify previous victims who may have already been trafficked.

The bust has sent shockwaves through the region, raising serious concerns over how the racket operated undetected for so long. Law enforcement officials have stepped up their investigation in an effort to dismantle the entire trafficking network.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh