Siliguri, 12 October (H.S.): Two 17-year-old girls from Mizoram were rescued in a suspected human trafficking case after a 61-year-old man from Ahmedabad was intercepted near the Indo-Nepal border at Panitanki in West Bengal's Darjeeling district while allegedly taking one of them to Nepal for a job at a casino, officials said. The second girl was rescued later that night from the man's residence in Siliguri.

The first girl was intercepted by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on the evening of October 11, with assistance from Kosi Lok Manch, a partner organisation of Just Rights for Children (JRC). During questioning, she reportedly said that her parents had died and that she knew the man through his long-standing association with her family. The man, however, gave a different account of how he had come into contact with her.

According to information gathered during the intervention, the man claimed to operate spa centres in Mumbai and Pune and said a woman employed at one of his establishments had introduced him to the girl, who was looking for work. The girl and the man had reportedly been staying together for about a month before he planned to take her to Nepal for the proposed casino job.

A check of the man's mobile phone allegedly revealed explicit photographs and videos, including child sexual exploitation and abuse material involving minors. Further questioning led investigators to another 17-year-old girl from Mizoram who was staying at his residence in Siliguri.

The team approached the police authorities and subsequently reached the residence, where the second girl was rescued at around 11 pm on October 11. She reportedly said she had been brought for work but was kept at the house as a domestic helper. Her mobile phone was also found to contain alleged explicit material involving minors, according to information provided by the team.

The man was subsequently apprehended with the assistance of the authorities. A case was registered at Kharibari police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology Act. The girls were produced before the Child Welfare Committee after the necessary police formalities.

Rishi Kant, National Secretary of Just Rights for Children, said recent interventions along the Indo-Nepal border had raised concerns about young girls being taken under the pretext of employment or dance performances. He stressed the importance of timely intervention by the SSB to protect vulnerable children from trafficking.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar