Kolkata, Oct 12 — Troops of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) foiled a human trafficking attempt across the India-Nepal Border.
Two minor girls were rescued, and two accused were taken into custody. One of those arrested is suspected to be the key conspirator.
Around 5 pm on October 11, personnel of the Border Intelligence Team (BIT), 41 Bn, SSB, who were deployed on the New Bridge, Panitanki, in West Bengal, intercepted a silver-coloured Toyota Hyryder proceeding from India towards Nepal. There were three persons travelling in the vehicle.
One of them was Mahesh Bhuralal Tanna (61), a resident of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The second was Navin Kumar (34), from Muzaffarpur in Bihar. He was driving the vehicle. The third occupant was a 17-year-old girl, a resident of Mizoram.
"During an on-the-spot preliminary inquiry, the minor girl revealed that she was travelling to Nepal with Tanna, an acquaintance of her father, supposedly for shopping and visiting a casino. She further stated that she had been staying with him at a rented flat near Salugara, Siliguri, lured by promises of employment at his spa centres in Mumbai and Goa," a senior SSB official said.
The officials at the site sensed something amiss and alerted the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Sector Headquarters, SSB, at Ranidanga and NGO partner Kosi Lok Manch, Siliguri.
Teams immediately rushed to the SSB post at Panitanki for joint counselling and questioning.
"During sustained interrogation, Tanna confessed that an agent based in Mizoram had sent the minor girl to him about ten days earlier. He claimed that as she was underage, he engaged her as domestic help for Rs 4,000 until she attained majority. However, inspection of the suspect's mobile phone (iPhone) revealed compromising photographs and videos of the minor girl and another unidentified female stored in the 'Recently Deleted' folder, indicating gross sexual exploitation under the guise of employment," the official said.
On being shown this evidence, Tanna was forced to admit that a second minor girl had been kept at his rented accommodation near Salugara, Siliguri.
The SSB team immediately got into action and sent the information to the local police and NGO team in Salugara.
"Help was sought from the police as the area in Salugara was beyond the jurisdiction of the SSB. A police team, accompanied by members of the Kosi Lok Manch, raided the rented flat in Salugara in Siliguri and successfully rescued the second minor girl," the official said.
Both rescued minors were taken to Kharibari Rural Hospital, where mandatory medical examinations were conducted in coordination with 41 Bn SSB personnel and the NGO team members.
Subsequently, the girls, along with Tanna and Kumar, as well as the seized vehicle, were handed over to the Kharibari Police Station. An FIR was registered with the active assistance and coordination of 41 Bn SSB personnel for further investigation and prosecution under relevant statutory provisions.
The NGO is coordinating with child welfare bodies for safe institutional care, counselling, and family repatriation of the two minors. Senior officials have appreciated the role played by the SSB personnel at Panitanki.
It was their alertness and prompt action in coordinating with other agencies that resulted in the rescue of both girls and the arrest of the person behind the racket. Human trafficking is a major issue along the India-Nepal Border.
Recently, six girls from Tripura, including three minors, were rescued while being taken to Nepal to work at a dance bar. The SSB has sensitised its troops and has strengthened intelligence gathering to prevent such crimes. It also works with NGOs working in this field to help the innocent victims.