Kolkata, 04 July (H.S.): Police rescued 17 minor girls during a raid at an alleged commercial sexual exploitation racket in the Islampur police station area of North Dinajpur district, West Bengal. The operation was carried out following information provided by child rights organisations, according to a statement issued on Saturday.

The statement said the rescue operation was conducted on the basis of inputs shared by the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) and Kosi Lok Manch, both partner organisations of the Just Rights for Children network.

Among those rescued, 13 girls are from Bihar, three from West Bengal and one from Assam. The youngest victim is 11 years old, while the others are between 13 and 17 years of age. All the rescued girls have been produced before the Child Welfare Committee and shifted to a safe shelter home after counselling.

Police have arrested four accused under provisions of laws relating to human trafficking and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Several other accused are reported to have fled during the operation. Drones were also deployed to monitor the area during the raid.

According to the statement, a joint team of AVA and Kosi Lok Manch had been monitoring the location for nearly two months before informing the Superintendent of Police of North Dinajpur, following which a coordinated operation was launched.

The statement further claimed that some of the rescued girls informed the police that they had been subjected to exploitation. However, the police have not yet issued a detailed official statement regarding their testimonies.

Welcoming the rescue operation, Just Rights for Children National Convenor Ravi Kant said the action was an important step against organised human trafficking networks and stressed the need for sustained efforts to ensure the safety and protection of children.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh