West Bengal & Rajasthan Police conducts rescue operation with support from NGOs Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) and Kosi Lok Manch
A minor girl from Dinhata in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, located near the Bangladesh border, who had been trafficked to Rajasthan on the false promise of a job, has been rescued from a spa centre in Jaipur. The interstate rescue operation was carried out by the West Bengal and Rajasthan Police with the support of the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) and Kosi Lok Manch. Police have launched efforts to arrest those involved in the trafficking network. Both AVA and Kosi Lok Manch are partner organisations of Just Rights for Children, the country’s largest network of more than 250 NGOs working for the protection and promotion of child rights.
The girl’s parents had lodged a missing person complaint on June 18. During the investigation, the police put the girl’s mobile phone under surveillance, which revealed her location in Jaipur. The West Bengal Police then sought assistance from Kosi Lok Manch, an NGO working across several districts of the state, to trace the child. Kosi Lok Manch immediately shared the information with AVA officials in Rajasthan.
On Sunday, a team of the West Bengal Police, accompanied by the girl’s mother, reached Jaipur and launched a search operation with the support of AVA team. However, the operation proved challenging as the girl’s location kept changing. Acting on technical surveillance, the team initially reached the Sanganer area before learning that the location fell under the jurisdiction of Pratap Nagar Police Station. Finally, on Monday morning, the police traced the girl’s location to the Jalupura Police Station area and conducted a raid, successfully rescuing her from the spa centre. The accused are absconding, and efforts are underway to apprehend them.
The girl, who had studied up to Class IX, told the police that a boy known to her in Dinhata lured her to Jaipur with the promise of a good job before handing her over to Karan, one of his associates. Karan has previously faced allegations of involvement in commercial sexual exploitation. Under the pretext of arranging employment, he sent the minor girl to work at the spa centre. The girl’s mother told that her daughter was sexually exploited. She had earlier worked as a domestic worker in Jaipur, while the girl’s father is a farmer in Dinhata. The rescued child is expected to return home on Wednesday.
Expressing satisfaction over the rescue, Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children said, “This case once again demonstrates that trafficking is an organised interstate crime that demands an organised interstate response. The close collaboration between the West Bengal and Rajasthan Police, supported by our partner organisations, made this rescue possible. Such partnerships are essential not only to rescue children but also to disrupt trafficking networks and ensure justice for every victim. We must not only rescue victims but also ensure that every person involved in trafficking is identified, prosecuted, and punished. Prevention, prompt intervention, and accountability must go hand in hand.”
(This Press Release has been published as received)
